


Days That Shape Us

by Pynki



Series: Home Again [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-06
Updated: 2012-11-04
Packaged: 2017-11-11 13:33:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 27,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/479072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pynki/pseuds/Pynki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life was supposed to be better now. The war was over. They were finally free to live. But fear is a force that lingers beyond victory. When tragedy strikes, will Hermione let her fears shape her future? A prelude to Home Again. AU post war.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 3-June-1998

**Author's Note:**

> All 7 books compliant...kind of. The two bits of cannon it doesn't comply with is Fred's death and the epilogue.

3-June-1998

Hermione smiled contently as she rolled over and hugged her pillow. Everything was completely and utterly perfect. So perfect in fact, that her dreams; that would always turn nightmarish, stayed happy and pleasant. Actually it wasn't so much a dream but memories of the night before. The Weasley's had thrown Fred a welcome home party and upon learning that her parents would be arriving back in England, they had been included in to the welcome home festivities.

It was a glorious night. For the first time they could all, finally, just relax. They hadn't, until that night dared to celebrate the end of the war. Her parents were still somewhere in Australia and it was unknown if the wall that had fallen on Fred would cause any permanent damage. That first day they were told that there was a very strong possibility Fred would never wake up. The next, they were told he had improved but might never walk again; have complete memory loss; partial memory loss and a list of other dreadful thing that could be wrong, but couldn't truly tell until, if he ever did, wake up. But Fred Weasley was never one to do the expected. A week after finding her parent's she recived an owl from Ron saying Fred would be just fine.

That has been the longest week of her life. As much as she loved her parents Hermione found she couldn't bear being away from Ron. When she was in his arms everything was right in the world, when she was away from him- Hermione couldn't explain it, but Ron eased her. His touch drain all her fear and anxiety. So with a heavy heart she decided to go back to England and wait for her parents to return home. The day after Fred was released her parents arrived.

After the details of the last year had come out; the Weasley home being the headquarters of the resistance; their youngest son's part in Harry quest; coupled with the common knowledge that Harry was practically a Weasley himself, everyone seemed to think The Weasleys were some sort of leaders in the war. When word got out that the Weasleys were celebrating everyone wanted to be apart of it. The burrow was packed to capacity and was forced to spill out into the garden. There was no fear, no need for "Constance vigilance" The war was over. Everyone they hadn't lost was safe and home. They could finally start to live.

She and Ron had escaped the flood of people to their secluded spot on a cliff that over looked the burrow. The view was one she would never forget. Every light in the house was on, a bonfire was lit and what seemed like hundreds of lamps floated over the yard making the burrow glow. Shadows and people danced; muggles and wizards, purebloods and muggel-borns all together as one. It was exactly what they had fought so had for.

She and Ron spent practically the entire night on that cliff in their own little world, they laughed and cried and talked about everything this new, better, world had to offer. Even making love for the first time under the fireworks Fred and George had set off at the party below. The only hiccup in the night was when Andromeda arrived with Teddy. Ron had mentioned in a letter written to her after Remus and Tonk's funeral that she 'scarily looked like her sister.' For some reason she had thought he was referring to Narcissa. So it was a shock when Hermione laid eyes on a less psychotic and cleaner looking Bellatrix. She had frozen, waiting to be struck down by the cruciatus curse again before being swept out of the room by Ginny .

Hermione had begun to drift back off to sleep but it seemed Crookshanks would have none of it. He leaped on to her bed at the first sigh that she was awake and began pawing at her nose until she conceded. She took a quick shower and changed hoping to catch Ron before he went off to the twins shop and convince him to help her and Harry with the restoration of Hogwarts.

"I'm off! I'll get some breakfast on my way! See you at dinner!" Hermione called running down the stairs to the door.

"Hermione! Can you come here for a moment?" She heard her mother call.

Hermione checked her watch and cursed under her breath. The shower she had taken wasn't a quick as she thought and if she wanted to catch Ron she would have to leave now. "I'm running late can't this-"

"No it can't."

Sighing Hermione took her hand off the knob of the front door and grudgingly made her way to the kitchen. Sitting across from her father, Hermione had to hold back a snigger at his obviously hung-over state. Her mother place a cup of tea in front of her and then sat down next to her father steadying herself for what she was about to say.

"Your father and I were talking, and we-we've decided not to reopen our practice."

Hermione looked between her parents lost for words.

"The house we bought in Australia," Her mother continued. "Is still on the market and the practice we worked for there will be more then happy to take us back, so your father and I have decided to sell this house and make Australia our permanent home."

"And you're coming with us." Her father added in a tone that clearly stated there was no room for argument.

Well, Hermione thought, as she squared her shoulders preparing for the fight. Her parents didn't know her at all if they thought she would just lower her head and walk quietly to her room and pack. She had fought in a bloody war, after that going head to head with her parents was nothing.

"No." she said simply.

"No isn't an option, in fact you have no say in this matter. You're coming with us and that's that."

"Even if I did go, which I'm not. I would just be back in November when Hogwarts re-opens. It would just be-"

"You're not going back to Hogwarts. You're not stepping one foot back into the Wizarding world!"

Hermione shot to her feet. "I'm an adult! You can't tell me what to do!"

"I'M YOUR FATHER GOD DAMN IT! I HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO TELL YOU WHAT TO DO!"

Hermione faltered at her father sudden anger but quickly recovered.

"When I was a child! But now-"

"YOU"RE STILL A CHILD! MY CHILD! IN CASE YOU'VE FORGOTTEN! I WONT HAVE A DAUGHTER OF MINE HAVING ANYTHING TO DO WITH THESE PEOPLE!"

Hermione crossed her arms defiantly. "It's a little too late for that."

"No it's not dear." Her mother said taking up the argument while her father tried to calm him self. "That's why we've leaving. We need to repair our family."

"Our family doesn't need repairing."

"Yes it does!" Her father said taking the rains again. "We lost you the moment you stepped foot in to that world and it's time we take you back!"

"Take me – What?"

"You've always chosen the Wizarding World over your family-"

"I've never!"

"We allowed it thinking it was what was best for you-"

"It was!"

"WAR AND FIGHTING! NEARLY BEING TORTURED TO DEATH! We heard the stories at your boyfriend's party! You told us that we were in danger and that we should go in to hiding so we did! You told us that you had some things to settle and that you would meet us later!

"That's what I did!"

YOU NEVER TOLD US THE THING YOU NEEDED TO SETTLE WAS A BLOODY WAR AND THAT YOU WERE THROWING YOURSELF IN TO THE MIDDLE OF IT!"

"YOU NEVER WOULD HAVE LEFT WITHOUT ME IF I TOLD YOU EVERYTHING!"

"You would rather die a witch then live in peace with your own family as a muggle! But that's how it's always been hasn't it? You love being a witch more then you love us!"

Hermione stare at her father in shock. "That's not true!"

"Yes it is! You hadn't seen us for nearly a year, Hermione! Spent a weeks in Australia then you ran right back to them, the wizards, and left us to sort everything out!"

"I wouldn't have been much help!"

"It's not a matter of how much help you could be, it was a matter of being back with your family AFTER NEARLY A YEAR! But once again you chose the Wizarding World. You always choose the Wizarding World! Christmases and summer holidays, it was always them and never us. Well not this time! You're coming with us! You're going to stay as far away from them as possible. Tortured, Hermione! Tortured! You were tortured within an inch of your life! You're daft if you think we're going to allow our daughter to continue living in that kind of world."

"You can't make me give it up."

Her father stared at her, a long piercing start he used to give her when she was a child and on the rare occasion misbehaved. "Maybe we can't but we can make you choose. "

"You can't do that!" Hermione cried tears finally spilling down her cheeks.

"The Wizarding World or your family. You can't have us both."

"THAT'S NOT FAIR!"

"Having to leave you and everything we had behind because of a war the wizards were fighting wasn't fair either."

Hermione looked at her parents as if seeing them for the first time. They had always been so welcoming and understanding of that part of her. They had raised her to always do the right thing and stand up for what she believed in and now they were punishing her for doing just that.

Hermione loved her parents more than they knew. They had never asked much of her. They gave her life and the freedom to live it the way she chose. Could she deny them this one request? This rather large request? She thought about everything she'd been through, everything she'd fought for. Her mind flashed to the cliff top, Her and Ron making love for the first time. It wasn't choosing between her parents and the Wizarding World, not really. It was choosing between the family she has now and the family she would one day have with Ron. If she thought of it like that the decision was scarily easy to make.

Hermione took a deep calming breath. "Lets just think about this rationally."

"We have Hermione." Her mother said.

"If you go back it'll be with out me. My choice won't be you."

The tear that slipped down her mothers face broke her heart. "We're your family."

"Ron's my heart."

"Well," Her father said. Picking up his jumper from the back of the chair. "I hope he loves you as much as you love him. It would be a shame to lose your family and your heart."

"Dad." Mr. Granger never spared her a second glance as he walked out of the room and out the front door.

"Mum?" She turned to her mother with tear filled eyes for help.

"Don't look at me. I'm not your choice."

"Mum!" But like her husband Emily Granger refused to look at the daughter she had lost to the Wizarding world and left Hermione felling cold in a house that didn't feel like home anymore.

Hermione sat cross legged surrounded by tattered and ripped books in the middle of the empty library. The ones that were beyond repair were in one pile and listed under re-order. The ones that weren't a complet loss and needed professional care were stacked in another. She was slowly fixing the ones she could on her own.

Professor McGonagall had put her on more administrative duties, while most of the people in the castle were focusing on getting the castle ready for the new school year; Professor McGonagall had enlisted her to help sort out the academic aspects of it all. Hermione felt a great deal of pride and wonder when she was shown the magic quill and the book that listed all the new born witches and wizards. She was to go through it and make the list of would be first years, who would be receiving their first Hogwarts letter. Hermione was also in charge of pulling out the most promising applications of professors along with sorting out Professor McGonagall's mail concerning Hogwarts in order of most urgent to least. Usually this was done by the deputy head master or mistress but Hogwarts didn't have one yet. Hogwarts didn't have a lot of things yet. Like a new Defense Against the Dark Arts, transfiguration or Arithmancy teacher. Their main concern was getting the destroyed castle up to par to host students from around the country, but Hogwarts was still after all a school and there were tasks pertaining to academics that needed attention. Rather then spared herself to thin McGonagall had entrusted and enlisted Hermione's help.

But all that work required thinking, and today, thinking was something Hermione did not want to do . So she occupied her mind and her time with the mundane task of repairing books.

Hermione heard the door to the library open and the head of Harry potter peak in.

"There you are."

"Here I am." She said going back to the books.

"Are you O.K.?"

"I'm fine."

"You sure? You seem distracted today." Harry said sitting down across from her taking a book off the top of one of the piles and flipping through it before tossing it back on top.

"There's still a lot to be done before Hogwarts opens."

"It'll get done."

Hermione just nodded and continued on with what she was doing.

"Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yeah."

Harry picked up the book again only this time taping the spine so the loose pages binded back with the rest secure. "Where does this one go?"

Hermione motioned to the stack to her left. They sat in silence repairing the books. Harry knew that something was trebling her but she was grateful that he didn't press the matter; he just kept her company until the work was done. They had just finished putting back the last of them when Harry finally spoke again.

"Are you going to see Ron tonight?"

Hermione just shrugged. "You two aren't fighting already are you?"

"No."

"I love the bloke and all but if he's being a prat you let me know and I'll set him straight."

"I just haven't spoken to him yet to see what his plans are."

"Why haven't you spoken to him today."

"I was running late this morning and didn't get a chance. I was going to owl him before I went…" Hermione trailed off . "Do you two have plans?"

"Not really no,"

"That's nice."

"Well it's not Ron, so what is it?"

"Nothing, I'm just a bit tired is all."

"Well I'm going to pop home then. Want me to tell Ron to owl you?"

"Yeah." Harry had taken two steps before Hermione said "Maybe I'll just come with you."


	2. 4-June-1998

4-June-1998

"Where the bloody hell are they?"

Hermione rolled her eyes as Ron looked at his watch again. "It's only been five minutes."

"They were supposed to Apparate right behind us! If they stayed behind because no one's- If he's- I'll kill him!"

Hermione smiled slightly at Ron's protectiveness of his sister virtue, a virtue Hermione knew had been long gone.

"Harry wouldn't do anything with Ginny under your parent's roof."

"Oh yes he would."

"No, he wouldn't."

"Yeah," Ron said darkly. "Sirius left him his own roof to fondle my sister under. OH GOD! Mental image I did not want in my head!" Ron slaped a hand over his eyes. "Quick! Hermione obliviate the last few seconds of my memory!"

"Oh stop." She said pulling his hands away from his face. "I uh, waned to ask you. Um, do you think your mum would mind me staying the night again?"

Ron stopped trying to shake the image of Ginny and Harry from his mind and gave her a cheeky smile. "I don't care if Mum's Ok with it. You're willing to do things Harry's not under my parents roof."

Ron scooted his chair closer to her but Hermione pushed him away with a laugh.

"You're like a child with a new toy."

"Yeah, and you like being played with."

Hermione blushed crimson. She had created a monster, or perhaps it was Ron who had created the monster? Being with Ron was intense to say the least. It was like they could feel each other when they touched; as if her lust would run through his veins and his through hers. Sometimes his would jump start hers, sometimes hers would jump start his. All she knew was it was hard getting out of Ron's bed that morning, or out of his room after Mrs. Weasley, Harry and Ginny went to visit Andromeda, leaving them with an empty house. They were both like children with a new toy. Actually, now that she thought on it, she found herself annoyed at the possibility of Harry and Ginny off doing what she and Ron could be instead of sitting around waiting for them. Hermione was about to suggest they leave when the couple in question walked.

"Where the hell have you been?" Ron asked menacingly.

"Got held up." Harry said shaking off his jacket. "What are we drinking?"

"Nothing, we were waiting for you."

"Ginny!" Harry called across the room and held up two fingers indicating for Ginny to order two more.

"Why don't you be a gentleman and help her?" Ron suggested.

"And offend her feminist sensibilities? And what do you know about being a gentleman?" Harry said kicking the leg of Ron's chair.

"Harry!" Hermione said a tiny bit outraged.

Harry held up his hand in defense. "No really, she said 'Sod off Potter I can carry two butter beers with out the chosen one's help."

Ron cocked an eyebrow and Harry rolled his eyes and explained.

"George and his girlfriend came by to drop off some boxes–"

"George has a girlfriend?" Hermione asked surprised.

"Yeah."

"Why haven't I haven't meet her?"

"Doesn't leave the house much." Ron explained. "Lost her brother at Hogwarts. They're not taking it well. He was only 15."

"Snuck back like Collin." Harry mumbled with his usual sad eyes when the the dead were brought up.

"What house was he in?" Hermione asked.

"Dunno, Patricia's was a Ravenclaw, so…"

"She seems nice." Harry said after a moment of silence, "George's girlfriend."

"She's kind of like a dementor."

"Ron!"

"What? It's true! When she's around all you feel is depressed. It's suffocating."

Hermione gaped at Ron, just when he was showing progress his insensitivity would pop right back up.

"What were they dropping off?" Ron asked unaware of Hermione's indignation.

"Stuff? Did you know they're moving in together?"

"Mum's gonna love that," Ron said with a snort.

"That's why they came when they knew she wasn't home. Ginny's hacked off because George made a joke about me carrying up the box she was holding."

"Isn't that why she broke up with Dean- Ow Hermione!" Ron exclaimed as he leaned down to rub the shin Hermione just kicked .

"Don't listen to him."

"What! It's true! OW! That's it." Ron lunged at her, and despite her best efforts to escape Ron's long arms grabbed her and began tickling her until she howled with laughter.

"Ron- St-stop-I-can't- breathe."

Ron pulled Hermione on to his lap and nuzzled his nose with hers. "Say you're sorry."

Hermione leaned in to kiss Ron but Ron pulled a way a fraction of an inch. "Say you're sorry first."

"I'm trying to." Ron gave her a seductive smile before capturing her lips with his.

"GAH! Get a room."

Ron and Hermione broke apart to see Ginny had arrived at the table.

"We had a whole house until you decided to come home."

"Oh God!" Ginny said slapping a hand over here eyes. "That's a mental picture I could have lived without. Quick Harry obliviate me before I get sick."

Hermione threw her head back and laughed. "You and Ron are quick to conjure up mental images."

"Unwanted mental images." Ron mumbled. "Hermione's staying over again, Gin." Ron added with a cheeky smile.

"Harry lives with us." Ginny countered, then turned her attention to Hermione. "Won't your parents wonder where you've been? You haven't been home since yesterday morning." Hermione took a sip to delay her answer and saw Ginny and Ron looking at her oddly.

"Oh, well, I've spoken to them, their fine with it."

Harry and Ginny shrugged but Ron studied her. "They just got back and they're OK with you not being with them?"

"They've been spending a lot of time getting their practice ready, late nights and, well, I hate being alone in the house. They understand." Hermione lied smoothly but Ron didn't seem to buy it. Inwardly Hermione begged him to drop it.

"Well," Ron said sliding Hermione off of his lap and flinging an arm over her shoulder. "I'm not complaining."

"Come on Harry." Ginny said getting up.

"Where are we going?"

"For a walk."

"But we just got here!"

"Yes, but Ron doesn't want us here."

"I didn't say that!"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "It's obvious."

"To who?" Both Harry and Hermione said at the same time.

Ginny opened her mouth to speak but closed it not coming up with an answer.

"Let's just walk."

Hermione watched Ginny and Harry walk out of the three broom sticks before turning to Ron and pinched his arm. "What did you do?"

"Nothing!"

"You must have done something for her to think you wanted her to leave."

"You were sitting right there!" Ron stared at the door Ginny and Harry had just walked through for a moment then turned Hermione's chair so she was fully facing him. "Never mind them. Why don't you want to go home?"

"I- I told you. My parents aren't home much and I don't like being home alone."

Ron looked deep in to her eyes and slowly shook his head. "I don't like you lying to me."

"I'm not lying!"

"Yes, you are. I can tell."

"Rubbish."

"Hermione."

Hermione looked away not wanting to meet his eyes. She hated lying to him and she hated that he could see right through her. She needed to give her parents some time to cool off and change their minds; she needed time to figure out what her next move would be if they didn't. Mostly she just didn't want to think about it.

"It's nothing."

"It's not nothing. It's bothering you. A lot. I can tell. Ginny's worried too."

"Did she say something?"

"No, I can just tell."

"I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Fine, fine, just- promise me you'll talk to me if it gets worse?"


	3. 5-June-1998

5-June-1998

Hermione apparated a few streets down from her childhood home but the walk did nothing to calm her nerves. Most of the walk she was debating whether to just walk in or ring the bell. She felt ringing the bell was a bit formal for a visit with her parents, but walking in might give them the impression she would go with them; if they haven't changed their mind.

"Hermione!"

Hermione stopped dead a few yards from her house praying it was just her imagination. She turned around and cursed under her breath.

"Ron, what are you doing here."

"I thought I'd come with you."

"Did I ask you to come with me?" She said annoyed, as much as she loved Ron this would go a lot smother with out his presence.

"Well, no- but," he just shrugged and gave her a sweet smile. Hermione couldn't help but smile back, Ron truly was an incredible boyfriend.

"Just-just let me handle it alright?"

"Is it that bad?"

Hermione turned mumbling, "We're about to find out."

Hermione took a deep breath when she stepped onto the door step and decided to go half way; in opening the door slowly while knocking.

"Mum? Dad?"

A rustle of papers caused her to turn her head left to where her father was reading the paper on the couch. The smile he gave her was encouraging and she took a few steps in only to see her father smile fade and turn into a scowl as soon as Ron stepped in behind her.

"Here to collect your things I gather?"

"Things? They're kicking you out?" Ron whispered in her ear and she shook her head to tell him 'not now'.

"Hermione is that- oh." Hermione smiled at her mother who just emerged from the kitchen but her parents eyes were on Ron.

"Can we talk?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"There's really not much to talk about; unless you've changed your mind?"

"I haven't."

"You know where your room is then. It shouldn't take you to long to pack." Her father said going back to his paper.

Hermione silently pleaded with her mother but she shook her head. "You made your decision we've made ours."

"This isn't fair!" Hermione said stomping her foot.

"Maybe I should wait outside."

"No, you stay, help her, this is your fault after all." John Granger said glaring at Ron over his paper.

"My fault?

"Come on, it was a mistake to come here." Hermione turned and opening the door wanting to leave as fast as she could.

"Every thing is your fault!" Her father said getting to his feet, her mother coming to stand behind him. "If it weren't for you, Hermione would be packing to go to Australia and not to go off with the likes of you!"

"The likes of me?"

"You picked a winner Hermione! All he can do is stand and repeat the last few words I say like parrot."

"HEY!"

"Now, John."

"Don't you have a go at him!" Hermione said forgetting the door was wide open and advancing on her father. "You know nothing about him!"

"I know enough! Poor family; dropped out of school; His mother's a murderer."

"Ron, no!" It took every ounce of her Hermione's strength to push Ron against the wall to prevent him from hitting her father.

"DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT MY FAMILY! DON'T TALK ABOUT MY MUM! WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM!"

"Ron!"

"YOU! YOU'RE MY PROBLEM!" Her father yelled struggling against her mother who, like Hermione trying to prevent things from coming to blows. "SHE CHOSE YOU OVER US! YOU! WHAT CAN YOU PROVIDE FOR HER! NOTHING BUT GETTING HER HURT AND TORTURED! DEAD IS WHAT SHE'LL BE IF SHE CONTINUES ON WITH YOUR LOT! YOU'RE GOING TO GET HER KILLED!"

"DAD!" Hermione yelled angrily at her father trying to push Ron out the opened door. "I know it was a mistake to come here and try to reason with you!"

"It's true! How many times has your life been on the line since you began mingling in that world?"

"Last time I checked Hermione was just fine!"

"FOR NOW! What are you going to do if another war breaks out? What are you going to do if she's kidnapped and tortured again! You couldn't protect her then what makes you think you can protect her now! I swear to god Hermione if you don't cut ties with them we'll drag you to Australia against your will."

"I'd kill anyone who tries to take Hermione away from me!"

"Ron let's GO!" Hermione pushed at Ron chest with her shoulder finally getting him out the door.

"What the fuck are you looking at!" Ron barked at one of the neighbors as Hermione continued to push a less struggling Ron down the path and to a secluded place behind some bushes in an empty play park so they could Apparate.

"Why didn't you tell me they were being so… so…"

"You shouldn't have yelled at my father."

"DID YOU HEAR WHAT HE SAID ABOUT MY MUM!"

"DON'T YELL AT ME!"

"DON'T DEFEND HIM!"

"HE'S MY FATHER!"

"HE WAS OUT OF LINE!"

"HE'S STILL MY FATHER!"

"THEN GO BACK! RUN OFF TO AUSTRALIA!"

"Ron!"

"YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO!"

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do." He snared. "You agree with him! You think we're dangerous."

"I never said I agreed!"

"Oh but you do, I can tell! You think they have a point!"

"They do have a point! There are still Death Eaters free! I'm still Muggleborn and they will always see me as a Mudblood! Do you have any idea how many people would like to see me and my parents dead? Do you know how terrified that makes me?"

"Then why did you bring them back!"

"I missed them!"

"Then go back!"

"I love you, more!"

Ron opened his mouth then closed it again so Hermione took that as a good sign and took a step closer to him. "I love you more than I missed my parents, that's why I came back before them. I love you more than I'm scared for them. I'd rather live without my parents and with you, than with them and with you out of my life. It's horrible, but it's the truth. They may be safer in Australia but I'm safest with you."

"Really?"

"Yes. So stop yelling at me!"

"Sorry."

"I'm sorry. My father… I'm sorry Ron." Hermione finally dissolved in to the tears that had been threatening since her father told her to pack her belongings. She didn't recognize the man that had returned from Australia. He was always so kind and understanding. The father she knew would never say such horrible things to any one let alone the man she loved.

"Come here." Ron held Hermione tight and allowed her to cry her heart out. "It's OK."

"No it's not. That man's not my father. I ruined him. I must have bungled the spell."

"He's just scared for you. He's scared and in shock and angry over what you had to go through. He just wants you safe."

"How can you defend him after everything he said?"

Hermione felt more than heard Ron's chuckle. "I just can't win with you, can I?"


	4. 9-June-1998

9-June-1998

"How are your parents dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked while she watched over a pot of gravy.

"Arthur said he missed them."

"M-missed them?"

"When he went over yesterday."

"What was he doing there!" Hermione screeched nearly dropping the stack of plates she was holding ready to set the table.

Mrs. Weasley gave her an odd look. "He went with Bill to put up the extra wards and charms you told Ron you wanted over your house."

"Oh! The wards! Yes, yes, of course!"

"Are you alright dear? You look a bit peaky." Mrs. Weasley said coming over to feel Hermione's forehead. "Minerva isn't over working you lot is she?"

"No, it's fine. Honestly."

Mrs. Weasley smiled and patted her cheek. "Why don't you get Ginny and Ron, dinner is almost ready."

Hermione made her way to Ron's room in a daze. After every thing her father said to him he still went out of his way to make sure they had extra protection because she told him she was afraid for them while they were still here. She shouldn't be surprised at all, it was just like Ron to do something like that.

"Gorgovitch dodged a bludger hit straight at his head."

"SHOOT!"

"PASS IT!"

"Excellent flying by Gorgovitch this season. Now if he could only learn to have a better grip on the quaffel."

"SHOOT!"

"PASS IT!"

"Gorgovitch drops the Quaffel…"

"DAMN IT!"

"Told you he should have passed it."

"Shut up!"

"Good game?" Hermione said leaning against the door frame.

"What you would expect," Ginny said with a shrug. "The cannons are down 40 to 170. Did Harry get back?"

"Not yet, but your mum says dinners about ready."

Ginny got up from the camp bed that used to be Harry's patting Ron on the back saying, "Find a new team Ron, the cannons are hopeless." Ginny ducked the pillow thrown to her by her brother; stuck her tongue at him and ran out of the room before another could be thrown.

"And the Falcons score again!"

Ron stood and turned off the wireless "That's enough of that. What?" He said seeing the warm smile etched across Hermione's face.

"I love you, do you know that?"

"I'm easy to love."

"No," Hermione said walking over to him and wrapping her arms around his neck. " I mean it, you're amazing."

Ron looked at her with narrowed eyes. "What do you want?"

"Nothing!" she laughed "Well, to thank you. You didn't have to tell your dad to put extra charms over my hou- my parent's house."

"Oh, well, I just thought it would make you feel better until they left."

Hermione closed her eyes and let her forehead fall and rest against his chest. "They froze my account. I went to the bank today to get some money and my account was frozen."

Ron walked across the room to close the door then pulled her over to his bed to talk.

"What does that mean?"

"It means I have no money."

"That's not to bad, we never had any money."

"You don't get it Ron, I don't mean I don't have enough money, I mean I don't have any. Nothing, I have one galleon and that's it. I can't go back to Hogwarts. I can't buy the course books or parchment, quills, potion ingredients; I can't even afford lunch for the week! They cut me off. "

"Oh. Well I'm sure Mum and Dad-"

"Are what going to buy my books for me? You're mad if you think I would even consider that!"

"Harry would –"

"I'm not asking Harry for money!"

"I have some money saved-"

"I'm not taking your money."

"Why not." Ron said sounding insulted. "Harry and my parents I can understand, but why wont you want my money? I'm your boyfriend helping you is part of the deal."

"I know you've been talking about getting a better broom."

"You're more important then a broom!"

Hermione gave him a sad smile before leaning in a giving him a small kiss on the lips. "You worked hard for that money, I'm not taking it."

BAM CRASH

On pure instinct Ron and Hermione jumped to their feet pulling out their wands.

"Protego!"

"Stupify."

"It's me!" Ginny said crouched down covering her head.

"Damn it Ginny, you broke my tank!"

"I'm fine thanks for asking."

"Are you ok?" Hermione said pocking her wand and helping Ginny up off the floor. "I guess we're still a bit on edge."

"Yeah," Ron said angrily. "Teaches you to go bursting into people's rooms and breaking stuff."

"Harry's home-"

"Good you can tell him to replace the tank you broke."

"That things been empty for years."

"That's besides the point."

"Use repairo."

"Still not the point."

Ginny opened her mouth to retort but shook her head, there were more important things than broken tanks that needed discussing. "Kingsley came with Harry and wants to talk to you."

Ron stopped inspecting the floor for stray pieces of glass and looked at his sister. "Me?"

"You and Mum. Official business he says."

"Mum?"

"Yeah, come on. I want to catch the rest of what he has to say to mum!"

Hermione looked worriedly at Ron. What could the minister of magic want with Ron and Mrs. Weasley. A pang of fear shot through Hermione like a lightning bolt and she felt all the blood drain from her face.

"Come on!" Gunny said pulling on Ron's arm. "Oh forget it. I'll see you down stairs."

"It's fine." Ron said turning to her. "I'm sure it has nothing to do with your parents." Ron intertwined their fingers then brought it up to his lips and kissed the back of her hand. The warmth of Ron's hand in hers gave her courage. "Together."

When they entered the kitchen Hermione surveyed the room. Harry was leaning against the kitchen sink beaming and Ginny looked as if Christmas had come early. Mrs. Weasley sat looking stunned in one of the chairs with Mr. Weasley wearing a similar expression standing behind her gripping her shoulders.

"What's going on?"

"Mum's rich!"

"Ginny!"

"Ok not rich but Mum's got money! Half of it's mine because it was thanks to me."

"Ginerva Weasley!"

"Oh come on Mum can I get a new broom? Please, please, please!"

"I'm not keeping it."

"It's yours Molly." Kingsley said reasonably.

"No." Molly said closing her eyes tight and shaking her head. "I don't want it."

"MUM!" Ginny said out raged.

"Give it to Andromeda, for Teddy. She was her… and she was the one who …"

"Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't feel right keeping it." She said lowering her eyes. Mr. Weasley crouched down in front of her and whispered "I wouldn't expect less from you." Then leaned up to place a kiss on her forehead. "You did what you had to."

Ron wrapped an arm around her holding her close and Hermione knew he was thinking the same thing she was at that moment. That one day they would grow old together and be just as in love and caring for one another like his parents. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see Harry reach for Ginny's hand. Ginny gave him a warm smile then walked over to her mother giving her a hug. "It's ok mum."

After a moment Ron cleared his throat. "Um, I don't want to ruin the moment or any thing but… What's going on?"

You could see the moment Kingsley went from friend to Minister. He stood a bit straighter and his shoulders squared. "There was a thousand galleons reward for the captures of Bellatrix Lestrange. After the ministry mishap and her involvement in the war the Wizengamot agreed that the reward for her capture should be more around ten thousand." He nodded to the sack in Mrs. Weasley hand. "The Wizengamot also agreed that all of the rewards should be escalated."

"I don't have to pay taxes." Harry said with glee. "Ever. Which isn't much of a difference since I haven't had to pay any yet. But still."

"Which brings us to you."

"Me?" Ron said confused.

"From the intel we gather it was you and Mr. Longbottom who brought down Fenrir Greyback."

"I… uh."

Kingsley reached in to his clock and pulled out a sack of gold. "Five thousand galleons." He said jugging the sack in his hand. Ten thousand split two ways."

"I may just get my broom after all." Ginny whispered to Harry.

"I'll give you just enough to replace the tank you broke." Ron then turned to his parents. "You're not going to make me give this to Bill are you?"

His parents laughed. "No dear that's yours, but it would be nice if you bought Bill something nice with it."

Ron leaned down and whispered in Hermione ear. "Now I can buy both our school supplies and a new broom."

"And then there's this." Kingsley voice broke off Hermione's argument and once again reached in to his cloak and handed Harry Ron and Hermione each a scroll of parchment and a sack of gold.

For the first time that evening Harry looked confused and out of the loop. "I thought the three of you should be together for this." Kingsley said with something a keen to glee in his voice.

All three unrolled their scroll:

Dear Miss Granger, In light of your contributions and efforts to the betterment of the Wizarding World. The British Ministry of Magic is pleased to present to with our highest honor. An Order Of Merlin First Class, and we thank you for your service during our darkest hour.

Sincerely,

The Wizengamot

The three friends all stared at each other in shock before Ron finally exclaimed "YOU'RE FUCKING JOKING!"

"Ronald Weasley!"

"I'm getting an Order of Merlin Order of First Class! I can say what ever the fuck I want!"

"Don't use that- A what?"

"An Order of Merlin, Molly, First class. All three of them. And the two thousand galleon prize money that goes to its recipients."

"Best. Day. Ever!" Ron said picking Hermione up and twirling her as she laughed.

When Ron put Hermione down he ran over to Harry and hugged him as well . "I knew letting you hang around me would pay off one day!" he joked. "I can't wait to see the look on Fred and George's face!" For good measure Ron picked up Ginny and swung her around in the same way he had her. "Ah, Hell, I'll let you keep the money. You don't have to buy me a new tank!" Ginny threw back her head and laughed.

She and Harry knew what an honor this was, but they had only been part of the Wizarding world for seven years, Ron had grown up in it, she could only image what receiving this honor meant to him. When they broke apart Mr. And Mrs. Weasley rand over and Hugged their son then harry and Her offering their "Congratulations and We're proud of yous."

"I think we should celebrate!" Mrs. Weasley said.

"They'll be a ceremony and ball in their honor on the 17th of June at the ministry." Kingsley informed the room at large.

"Can't ask Fleur this time Ron, as she's married to your brother."

"Sod off Harry."


	5. 21-June-1998

21-June-1998

"Hermione! Hermione! There's a spider! Kill it! Kill it!"

Hermione bent down and picked up the sack of flour Ron dropped in his panic. "For heavens sakes, it's just dust and hair."

"It looked like a spider!"

"Death Eaters you have no problem facing, but a spider has you screaming like a girl?"

"I didn't scream."

"If it was a real spider you would have."

Ron poked Hermione in the ribs and swung an arm around her as she put the flour in to the cart he was pushing. Ginny had gotten suspicious as to why Hermione had been eating dinner at the Burrow every night rather than at her own home. It was then she decided to have dinner out or at Grimmauld Place. Hogwarts would re-open late on November first and she wondered if it was possible to continue staying there unnoticed until then.

The prospect of getting her own flat was both impractical and heart breaking to her. Impractical because she had limited funds and no job, which meant no means to support herself. Heart breaking because getting her own flat meant accepting that it was all real. Her parents had disowned her; she was on her own.

Hermione glanced sideways to the man walking along the aisles with her. No, she wasn't on her own. She had Ron. He stayed with her at Grimmauld Place every night, lied to his parents, and protected hers. He alone was making this horrible situation bearable. Not only that, he was making it enjoyable, if that was even possible. They would wake in the morning; Ron would pop in to the burrow to make an appearance before heading to the Leaky Cauldron where she would meet him. They'd have breakfast and then he'd go off to the twin's shop and she would floo to Hogsmeade and make her way to Hogwarts.

At the end of the day she and Harry would go to the Burrow, stay for a bit, and then put up the facade of going home. Ron, acting the part of a Gryffindor gentleman, would always offer to accompany her. Always making note to mention he would be staying for dinner or they would get something on the way to explain his absence. Hermione didn't know how long they would be able to keep up the act but she didn't care much because what came after was well worth any wrath they would receive about their lie.

Grimmauld Place had become their home of sorts. They would cook dinner, lay about, Ron listing to a Quidditch match while Hermione read. It felt like they were a married couple the mornings and evenings at Grimmauld place. It was a glimpse in to the future Hermione definitely wanted and she knew, as long as Ron would have her, she wouldn't give it up for anything, not even her parents.

"Where are those drinks?"

"What drinks?"

"The ones you got last time, the fizzy one."

"Soda pop?"

"Yeah!"

"Aisle 10."

"Wicked." Ron gave her a kiss on the head then turned and set off in the opposite direction. Hermione shook her head and laughed at Ron's somewhat indecent love of the Muggle drink but her laughter died when she saw none other then her parents turn in to the aisle.

"Hermione," her father said stiffly.

"Dad. Mum."

"That's a lot of groceries," her mother commented.

"Witches have to eat too."

"Do the Weasleys even like Muggle food?"

"I'm not shopping for the Weasleys, I'm shopping for me."

As her parents faces fell hers grew smug.

"You have your own place?"

Hermione just shrugged. It was better to let them assume rather than explain her odd situation. And besides, she wanted them to know she was fine.

"You can't afford to live on your own." Her father crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

"If that's what you think ..."

"You found a job then?"

"No, but I will after Hogwarts. I'm already getting offers for after I graduate."

"Where are you getting the money to pay for that now?"

"I came in to some money; and Ron has a job."

"Because of the Merlin Class thing?" Her mother asked.

"How do you know about that?"

"We got one of those owls with an invitation to a ball and a scroll."

"Did you read the scroll?"

"Didn't care to," Her father said airily, "The last thing your mother and I want is to attend a party about a war our daughter was almost killed in."

"Well," Hermione said squaring her shoulders. "If you bothered to read it you would know that it's not about the war. Not entirely. The ball is being held in honor of Harry, Ron and myself. You see in the world you have come to hate I'm seen as something of a hero. The entire Wizarding World is coming together to honor us. Receiving an Order of Merlin First Class is like receiving an Order of the British Empire, or Victoria Cross.

"If you would have just asked to hear the whole story rather than listen to drunken men at a party, you would know that Harry took down the Wizarding Hitler, and Ron and I helped." Hermione began walking away from them but then stopped wanting them to know one last thing. "And yes, Ron's mother did kill someone; she killed the woman who murdered and tortured dozens of people. The women who had just tried to kill her only daughter. The same woman who tortured and nearly killed your only daughter." With that Hermione walked away from her shocked parents feeling as if she had just run a mile.


	6. 23-June-1998

23-June-1998

Hermione took a deep breath as she knocked on the door of her childhood home. To say she was surprised to receive an owl from her parents, asking her to pick up her things, was an understatement. She had no idea how they could possibly find and send an owl but the logistic of it really didn't matter in the scope of things, she guessed. She was calmer than she thought she would be; attributing it to the knowledge that she was making the right choice.

"Hermione." Her mother smiled at her when she opened the door. "Come in. Your father is in the study."

"I'll just…" She gestured up stairs. She was here for her things not another fight.

"Actually your father and I would like to talk with you."

"I don't think there is anything left to say."

Her eyes filled with tears and she looked around the room. There were boxes littering the sitting room and the furniture was covered in sheets. Physical proof the this was really happening.

"We leave at the end of the month. We're in the middle of negotiation for selling our practice here and we think everything should be settled by then. The house is on the market so that's… that."

"That's…good." Hermione said awkwardly "I won't be long." She said as she set up the stairs.

"I'm sorry I called Ron's mother a murderer." Hermione stopped at the top step at the sound of her father's voice, turning to look at him. He had one foot on the bottom step looking as if he didn't know whether to approach her or stay where he was. "I know Molly, she is a good person. I was… I don't know why I said what I said. And about Ron too, I always liked and trusted the Weasley's. We never would have allowed you to spend so much time with them if we didn't."

Hermione nodded but said nothing.

"This mess is partly our fault. We raised you to be independent and self sufficient and I guess we did too good a job. You don't need us any more. You haven't needed us in a long time."

"That's not true." Hermione said descended a few steps. "I'll always need you."

"No, you don't. We cut you off thinking you would find you at least need us financially' but you don't even need that. You're doing perfectly well without us."

"I won money! That's all!"

"You earned it. Even if you didn't Ron has a job; he's willing to support you financially for how ever long you would need it. He told me as much."

Hermione backed up one step. "When did you talk to Ron?"

"No, it's not like that." Her father said climbing up a step. "I went over to the Leaky Cauldron, to that post office in Diagon Alley."

"You can't get in without me."

"A wizard helped us. Led me in and tapped the bricks. He was very polite and kind. I ran in to Ron when I was coming out and we got to talking, well arguing, but he made his point clear. He's even willing to forgo his last year of schooling to work and support you if he must."

"He would not!"

"He would. Ron really believes in you. Knows you'll make something of yourself."

Tears pricked Hermione eyes, she knew all these things but she never heard them vocalized. Even if it wasn't to her it still meant something that he would say it aloud; and to her father no less.

"He shouldn't have to, it's not fair to you and it's not fair to him."

"So what are you saying?" She said crossing her arms ready to stand her ground if need be.

"Come with us. No conditions. Ron and Harry are welcomed to visit as much as they want, you can visit them, go to Hogwarts, whatever you like, just come home."

Hermione sat on the stairs and put her head in her hands to think. They wanted her back. They still loved her and wanted her home. But they were still moving. She would be home until the end of June then they would all move to Australia until she had to be back for Hogwarts in November. Five months. She tried to calculate how many times Ron could realistically visit her and she him. It was no good.

"I'll come visit you. I promise I will, I just can't leave. I'm sorry; I would be leaving to much behind."

"You mean you would be leaving Ron behind."

Hermione nodded.

"Hermione, he's your boyfriend. We're your family."

"For now."

"What do you mean for now?" Her mother said "You're not engaged are you?"

"Are you pregnant!" Her father tried not to scream. "Is that why he was going on about supporting you!"

"Of course I'm not!"

"Oh, thank God!" Her father said clutching his heart. "Don't scare me like that."

"But what different would that make if we were pregnant now or five years for now. It's going to happen someday."

"You don't know that dear." Her mother said she she ascended the stairs and sat next to her "You may think Ron's the one now, but in a few years you might find he's not. People change, they grow apart, fall out of love. You've only been together for little over a month."

"What if he is? What if he is the one and I go with you and lose him forever? I would rather find out than always wonder. Grandmum told me once that you and dad broke up because grand dad wanted him to study abroad but he wanted to stay with you." Hermione turned to look at her dad eyes filling with tears. "That's what you're doing to me. You're making me choose between you and my future family."

"Hermione, you don't know that you and Ron will have a family one day."

"Nether did you. Would you give me and Mum up?"

"Never."

"You almost did. You and Mum dated for three years before you decided to get married. Ron's been my best friend since I was 12. We grew up together. We know each other inside and out. That's more than you and Mum had when you decided she was the one. Our relationship isn't sudden. It's been developing for seven years. You used to tease me about it, Dad, so why are you doubting it now that it's happened."

"Moving doesn't equal a break up, Hermione; you'll be back for school. If it's meant to be distance won't change anything."

Hermione knew her father made sense, but she still couldn't do it. "I hurts to be away from him." She whispered.

John Granger sniffed hard and tried to blink away the tears. "It's going to hurt having you so far away from us. More than it was when you were at school."

"Don't go." Hermione pleaded. "Nothing is set in stone yet. You haven't sold the practice or the house yet. Ron had his father put extra protection on the house. Besides the war's over. We're safe now."


	7. 27-June-1998

27-June-1998

1.30 AM

Hermione was curled up next to Ron as he lazily ran his fingers down her naked back.

"What time do your parents want us to come over?"

"Around noon."

"Should we… uh… bring anything?"

"Your mum said she's bringing biscuits."

"Right."

"There's no need for you to be nervous, Ron. Our parents have been friends for years. They like you. And my father apologized."

"Well, yeah, but it's different."

"How?"

Ron glanced down to their intertwined bodies devoid of any clothing.

"Your parents liked me as your friend but now I'm the bloke who deflowered their only daughter."

Hermione laughed. "They don't know that part."

"And where, may I ask, do they think you are now?"

"Asleep in my own bed."

Ron cocked an eyebrow at her. "Did you sneak out for a shag?"

She slapped his bare chest. "Would you rather I told them? I'm sure my father would love that, he'd finally have a good use for his pistol."

"What's a pistol?"

"Umm, it is the Muggle version of Avada Kedavra."

"What!?" Ron looked at her with wide eyes. "And your father has one of these pistol things?"

Hermione laughed again and they laid in silence for a while.

"I'm scared," Ron whispered in to the darkness. This statement shocked her to the core, Ron wasn't one to willingly talk about his feelings let along his fears. Hermione propped herself up on her elbow and gazed in to Ron's blue eyes filled with uncertainty.

"Of what?"

"Everything. I thought once the war was over everything would be fine but it's not. Harry's a mess, he's trying to hide it but he is. Ginny feels useless 'cause she can't help him. Mum's wearing herself out trying to help Andromeda with Teddy. The ministry's a mess, Dad and Kinsley are doing their best but it's been filled with corruption for so long… what if we can't come back from this?"

"Everything's going to be OK," she tried to reassure. "It's like this now but it'll get better. They'll get the ministry cleaned up, a lot of people showed their true colours. Kingsley knows who to go after. We'll rebuild and move on. We have our whole future in front of us."

Ron only looked more unsure. "I don't know about that. We didn't finish school, Hermione. We don't have our NEWT's, I don't know who would want to give me a job, and I don't know if I could go back to Hogwarts. Not after this past year. There's nothing there for me anymore."

"I'll be there."

"You will?"

"Of course I'm going back."

Ron laced their fingers together and brought their intertwined hands to lie over his heart. "I mean for me. You'll be there… always? With me?"

Her eyes filled with tears, he was talking about much more than Hogwarts.

"Yes."

"No matter what?"

"Nothing could take me away from you."

"And you'll marry me? Not tomorrow but someday?"

"Of course." She sobbed and rested her forehead agents his. "I love you." She whispered before placing a soft kiss on his lips.

"I don't know what the future is gonna be like Hermione, but the only thing I see clearly is you."

~~**~~

"Why are we doing this again?" Hermione asked her father yawning. It was half past seven in the morning. She had just snuck back in when her mother came to her door and sent her and her father to the market to pick up some last minute things. Her parents had invited the entire Weasley clan plus Harry and minus a Charlie, who had gone back to Romania the night before, over for lunch and Hermione still didn't completely understand why.

"We thought it would be nice."

"It is, but you and Mum aren't the big lunch in types."

"I know but…"

"But?"

"The Weasleys were kind enough to combine their son's welcome home dinner with our return. They're lovely people and after the way we acted- after learning what had really happened … Well, we just want to make sure everything is fine between our two families before we have to come face to face at the ball."

So that's what this whole thing was about. Hermione grabbed her fathers arm stopping him in the middle of the aisle. All of a sudden lunch didn't seem like a good idea.

"Dad, they don't know about that."

"They don't?"

"No."

"But Ron…"

"Knew you would come around so he didn't say anything to them."

Her father blinked a few times and shook his head. The shouting matches that happened in their house, one even including Ron himself, had been so horrible her father seemed shocked that the Weasleys had no idea they had even occurred.

"Why wouldn't he say anything? I thought the Weasley's were close."

"They are. Ron just didn't want his family thinking the worst of you and Mum."

Her father seemed more shocked about this then anything else.

"Well," he said taking a long look at his now grown daughter before looking past her at nothing. They stood there in silence as a sad smile slowly mad its way on to her fathers face. "We won't mention it," he said shaking him from what ever thoughts were occupying his mind.

"Should we get a cake from the bakery?"

"Mum said she would make one."

"Right, Right," he said looking at the list. "I see."

They walked up and down the aisles grabbing the items off the list, Her father asking question's about the twin's shop what the rest of the family did gathering a list of topic to talk about. Her father seemed to be making a bigger effort to know more about the Weasleys than usual and Hermione had to smile at that.

"There's that Bellatrix."

Hermione's head spun as she dropped the sack of flour she was holding flattening herself against the shelf. No, NO! Bellatrix was dead. She could not be here. She closed her eyes tight and began to shake head to toe. Her mind was screaming for her to grab her father and run but she was frozen in terror.

"Hermione, Hermione!"

"NO!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Hermione, are you OK?" She opened her eyes and looked in to her father's worried face as he shook her back to reality. Looking around at nearly empty muggle market she slowly came to the realization that yes, Bellatrix Lestrange was dead and would not be shopping in a Muggle market even if she wasn't.

"I'm fine, I'm fine… There- there was a spider on the flour."

Her father pulled a face. "And to think this is supposed to be one of the cleaner markets."

"Yes." Hermione said shaking her self and pushing away from the shelf.

"There's the vanilla sticks." John Granger repeated pointing at the bundle of what looked like long black twigs.

Hermione took a shaky breath.

"Beans dad, vanilla beans."

"They look more like sticks to me."

"Call them Vanilla beans." She said adding a desperate ' please' in her head.

~~**~~

"Don't mention anything about our fights with the Weasleys."

Hermione stopped short of entering the kitchen upon hearing the name Weasley. Positioning herself just out of sight she allowed herself to eavesdrop on her parents' whispered conversation.

"But this was supposed to be an apology," her mother was saying.

"I know, but Ron hasn't told them about our argument."

"Honestly?"

Her father nodded. "He didn't want them thinking bad of us."

"After everything you said?"

"Seems Hermione isn't the only Granger he's been protecting."

"That makes me feel horrible."

"Yeah, he's a good bloke," her father said in a tone of reluctant acceptance

"One our daughter's in love with."

"And I'm sure he's just as in love with her. That makes me feel horrible."

"You told Hermione you liked him."

"I do! Even more so now, that's the problem. I'm not supposed to respect the boy shagging my daughter." He said shaking his head. "Why did she have to pick a boyfriend I can't hate?"

Hermione's face turned bright red at her father's correct assumption. Just last night she was assuring Ron that they didn't know that bit about their relationship.

"Maybe you'll hate her next boyfriend." Her mother said laughing.

"You think they'll break up."

"They're young."

Hermione felt tears sting her eyes. Her parents still didn't believe her relationship with Ron would last. The kitchen fell silent and Hermione began to slowly walk towards the stairs.

"I hope they don't," she heard her father say and she turned back to the kitchen.

"Neither do I. They way he is with her and what he did to protect our reputation… that boy's…"

"A man," her father said simply.

"One who's going to be in Hermione's life for a very long time."  


~~**~~

Hermione was staring at the dining table wondering how they would seat thirteen in a table meant for six when the door bell rang.

"Hello, Ron," her mother's voice floated in to the room. "You're a bit early."

"I came by to see if you needed any help."

"Hmmm, come check to see if I've made enough food."

Hermione smiled but made no move to greet Ron. Her mother was a gracious host, no matter how overwhelmed she might be she would never let a guest help out, the fact that she was allowing Ron to meant she didn't see him as a guest, but a part of their unit. There was no way she would interrupt a possible bonding moment between her mother and Ron. So she continued to stare at the table.

"Why don't you enlarge it?"

Hermione turned to see Ron looking at her from the door way with a stack of plates.

"Hello," she smiled at him.

"Hey," Ron said placing the plates on the table and wrapping his arms around her waits from behind.

"I can't enlarge it."

"Sure you can."

"No I mean I can't." She nodded to where two halves of a broken wand lay.

"What happened to your wand!" Ron said a bit panicked walking over and picking it up.

"I snapped it."

"You what! Why would you do a thing like that?"

"I didn't want it."

"How cou… why…You didn't want your wand!"

"That's not my wand."

Ron looked at her like she had gone completely round the bend.

"It's hers"

"Who's?"

"Hers… Bellatrix Lestrange's. The snatchers took my wand."

Ron looked at the wand with disgust before snapping the two halves in half, throwing them in to the fire place and lighting it. Walking over he pull Hermione into his arms they watch the wand burn. The wand that had taken Neville's parents from him, the wand that had taken Sirius from Harry.

"We'll write to Ollivander tomorrow. He owes us a favor," Ron said placing a small kiss on her temple before pulling out his own and handing it to her. She looked it over for a long moment before waking over to the fire place and throwing it in to burn alongside Bellatrix's

"Are you mental!" Ron ran to the hearth and knelt down trying to find a way to get his wand before it brunt to sinters without himself getting burnt.

"That's not your wand."

"Of course it's my wand!"

"The snatchers took your wand," she said in a distant voice staring at the burning wands as if the mere intensity of her gaze would help speed along their destruction. She wished it could, those wands and their owners had done nothing but destroy the lives of people she cared about. Had killed people she cared about had…

An involuntary shudder wracked her body as she remember one of them being pointed at her, the color of the light shooting out and hitting her, then pain. Pain she sometimes felt the echoes of late at night when all was quiet and the memory of Malfoy manor would creep in. Then the nightmares would come. Her mind would change the events of that night. She would be given to Greyback, who would rape and kill her. Or Bellatrix would just slit her throat ending her suffering. Sometimes they would all die. A few times Ron had turned in to Peter Pettigrew. Bellatrix laughed as she told them they had captured Ron the night he left them on the hunt and it had been Wormtail in their mist all along. She brought his bloody and beaten body out. Talked about how he refused to give any information and slowly killed Ron in front of her as she watched, telling her not to make the same mistake. His last words in those nightmares were always "I love you."

"Hermione?" she heard Ron say a bit warily effectively snapping her out of her trance.

"Yes?" She was unable to look at him with the image of him beaten and broken still fresh in her mind. She knew if she looked at him she wouldn't see the swollen eyes or the gashes or bruises, but just the thought that it could have happened that was enough to keep her eyes focused on the stack of plats on the table.

Ron stood up and walked over to her, placing his palm on her cheek and moving her head to look at him. Just his touch could drain all the darkness from her mind, and Hermione became increasingly grateful for his presence. And not just now, being in his arms, the world was bright and warm. When she wasn't with him it was cold and dark.

Hermione nuzzled her cheek deeper in to his palm and sighed contently. Ron featured quickly turned in to one of panic making Hermione turn checking to see if there was anyone one behind her."

"Please tell me you have floo powder," he said and Hermione relaxed.

"We're not connected to the floo network, Ron."

"How am I going to get home!"

"Your family's coming in a few hours, they can take you home. We'll both get a new wand soon."

"I was fine with that one."

"You shouldn't be."

"Well I was."

"That wand is evil."

"A wand can't be evil!"

"Yes it can!"

Ron looked like he wanted to retort but instead said, "I don't want to fight. Can we just… how are we going to expand the table?"

"Damn, I didn't think of that."

"Since when do you not think?"

"Shut up!"  


~~**~~

"Oh you should have seen his face," Fred said laughing from across the table Bill had magically enlarged and set. "Screamed like a girl, he did."

"I was two!"

"It was priceless!"

"Sometimes I regret not giving Hermione a sibling or two," Mrs. Granger said. "It would have prepared her for the summers at the Burrow. She was so overwhelmed at first.

"It's not too late." Fred said. "We'll sell you Percy, an instant big brother for Hermione."

"We'll even throw Ronnie in for a small fee," George added.

"There're two of you," Ron said, and then looked at the Grangers. "We only need one, really. I'll give you Fred free of charge, he's not house trained though."

It went on like that for a half an hour each Weasley sibling auctioning off another causing much laughter. In the end they all agreed on Charlie who wasn't there to give a counter offer.

"John," Mrs. Granger stood and began to clear plates. "Would you help with the pudding?"

"Would you like my help?" Mrs. Weasley offered.

"No, no, Molly; its fine. John'll help me."

When the Grangers exited the room Ron grabbed Hermione's hand from under the table, leaned in and whispered, "This is going well."

"I told you you had nothing to worry about."

"I should start listening to you."

"You should have started years ago."

They stared at each other for a long moment before Ron lifted there intertwined hands and kissed Hermione's. "I love you." He said softly.

"I love you too."

"I love you, George."

"I love you, Fred."

The twins hugged dramatically swaying in their seats pounding each other on the back. "I love you so much!" they declared in mock sobs.

"Alright boys, that's enough," Mr. Weasley said trying not to laugh along with the rest of the table.

Ron and Hermione were both glowing crimson. At some point unaware to either of them Hermione's parents had entered and by the way their parents were beaming at each other Hermione knew everything between the Grangers and Weasleys was just fine.


	8. 15-August-1998

 

15 August 1998

“Harry Potter!”

“What?”

“You can’t take that!”

“McGonagall ordered a new one! She said that she didn’t want a Quidditch cup with the Gryffindor name on it in this state.”

“That doesn’t mean you could just take it!”

“They’re going to chuck it! Oliver would kneel over and die if he knew I allowed them to chuck the original. I’m doing it for Oliver!”

“You’re going to owl it to him then are you?”

“Hell no! This bitch is mine!”

“Harry!” Hermione scolded shaking her head, “Ron’s mouth is rubbing off on you.”

Harry pressed his lips together and shook his head trying desperately not to laugh. “Because you’re like my sister I’m going to let that one slide.”

“Let what- OH! That’s disgusting!”

“So you’ve never let Ron,”  Harry  smirked. You should.,Ginny loves it.”

“HARRY!”

“Sorry, I had a good morning.”

“Because you’re like my brother, I won’t tell Ron you had a good morning with his sister.”

“I’m sure he knows. She was just as late as I was.”

Hermione rolled her eyes, “I’m heading out, See you tomorrow.”

Harry gave her a cheeky grin. “Tell Ron I sad hi and your welcome for giving you ideas.”

“I swear!” she said gathering the inventory she was taking on which trophies needed repair or replacing. She hadn’t slept well that night and all she wanted to do was go home early to take a nice long nap. She looked one last time at her list. Their sixth year trophy wasn’t so bad off. It had a few dents and scratches, nothing a few charms couldn’t fix... She pulled a quill from her bag deciding if Harry was going to get an authentic Hogwarts Quidditch trophy to show his children so should Ron. She crossed off repair and added replace then walked over and grabbed the trophy from its mantel place and put it in her beaded bag.

“Hey! You can’t take that!” Harry said jokingly.

“Sod off, Harry.” She smiled.

“So, Ron’s mouth _is_ rubbing off on you.”

“Almost every night this week,” she countered and left before harry snapped out of his state of shock.

“Have fun!” she heard him call before he burst into laughter. It really was amazing the transformation Harry had gone under since the end of the war. She couldn’t remember the last time she saw him so carefree and relaxed. The war was over. Life was good.

 

~~**~~

 

“Ron! Ron! Are you home?” The silence that greeted her was good. She looked at her watch and saw she didn’t have much time. The look on Ron’s face when he walked in his room to see the Quidditch cup he helped win his last year at Hogwarts would be priceless. She was just about to head up when she heard foot step out side the door, hurriedly she hid the cup behind the couch and turned to smile just as the person she wanted to see waked through the door. He looked… terrible.

“Oh my god! What happened to you?”

“Apparated badly- fell down the hill.”

“That looks dreadful.” she said touching the gash on his forehead. He flinched back making her assume it was as bad as it looked.

“How much does it hurt?”

“What are you doing here?” He nearly snapped at her and she tried not to take offence attributing his foul mood to his injuries.

“Oh,” Hermioe turned and pulled the cup out from behind the coach. “We found this in the wreckage. Harry thought you might like it,” she lied, if they got caught she was going to put the blame on Harry, her head girl badge could be on the line, but he would always be the boy who lived. “He nicked the one he helped win…” He was just staring at her blankly,  “Ron, are you OK?”.

“I need a shower.”

His voice seemed cold and distant. “Come let’s clean you up.”

Hermione brought him up to the loo to get him cleaned up all the while glancing side ways at him. He wouldn’t look at her just stared straight ahead. Twice in the short walk she tried to interlace their fingers but he didn’t respond, it was like he didn’t even feel her touch.

She watched almost transfixed as he stared at his reflection. There was this cold numbness around him, a stark difference from the warmth he usually admitted. Hermione shook herself, grabbing a clean washcloth; she wet it under he faucet and began to clean the blood off of her boyfriends face.

“I can do that,” he snapped at her again taking the washcloth her hand and it was hard not to get offended this time.

“Don’t be ridiculous. It needs to be disinfected and healed and you’re rubbish at that.”

He didn’t say anything just sat down on the toilet. She cleaned and healed his wounds as he stared off in to space.

“There we go. I’ll go make us some tea while you shower, okay?”

 

~~**~~

 

 “Minister.”

Kingsley Shacklebolt looked up from his paper work, into the grave face of the head of magical law enforcement.

“Yes Laurie?”

“Sir…”

Kingsley knew that look that was written on Greg Laurie’s face. It was the same look everyone in his old department got when the dark mark would appear in the sky.

“Where?”

“Over the Granger house.”

Kingsley was on his feet and out the door in a matter of seconds.

“Send a team. Arthur!”

“We have sir but we can’t gain accesses until the muggle authorities have finished their investigation.”

“Muggle… How could… Arthur!”

Arthur Weasley came jogging around the corridor, red faced in his haste to the summons.

“What’s-“

“The dark mark’s been set over Hermione’s house, find Ron and tell him to check Hogwarts she may still be there, if not…” Kingsley’s voice cracked a bit.

“What do we know?” the minister rounded on Laurie.

“Three dead. Our men are in the crowed waiting for entry. They saw three bodies taken from the house. Overheard the muggle police…One’s throat slashed, two with no signs of what caused their deaths. They seemed to have just dropped dead.”

Three dead.

“Find Ron and Harry. I’ll floo Molly.” With a nod Arthur was off.

“Where’s Witter?”

“In his office, sir, he’s handling it.”

Kingsley threw Lurie a scathing look and headed to the head of the Auror departments office. It seemed to take forever for him to reach the door which didn’t do anyone any good, the usually calm minister was gaining anger with each step so by the time he entered the office he could do nothing but bellow.

“HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED!”

“Minister… please.”

“We put up enchantments. Our people should have been there before the muggles! They will do nothing but contaminate the crime scene! How were you not aware of magic being preformed in that house?”

“We were sir… but a witch lives there, we thought it was her, we get alerts of magic several times a day!”

“That much magic? In such a short period of time?”

“We thought she invited friends, the war is over, we didn’t think it was anything till the dark mark came through.”

“Didn’t think… didn’t think! You’re incompetence and false sense of security could have just lead to the death of Hermione Granger!”

“We’re aware of whose house has been attacked.” Scott said in a small voice. “We’re sorry!”

“Sorry. Humph.”

Throwing a hand full of floo powder in to Mr. Witter’s fireplace he called. “The Burrow.” And was gone in a flash of emerald flames.

Kingsley stumbled in to the kitchen at the burrow and the sights that meet him there nearly made him cry.

 

~~**~~

 

 “Hermione!”

Hermione jumped at her name being nearly screamed and turned just in to see Kingsley as he pulled her in to a tight hug.

“Uh-Hello!”

Kingsley held her out at arm’s length looking as if he didn’t believe she was standing there.

“You’re here,” he said relieved but before she could answer Harry, Mr. Weasley and Professor McGonagall came bursting through the door. Pulling her into a hug one by one. To say she was confused would have been an understatement.

“What’s going on?” she asked, an ominous felling crept over her as the four looked at each other not knowing how to answer.

“What’s wrong?”

“Maybe you should sit down.”

The sound of the front door being swung open forcefully and crashing to something could be herd a split second before Ginny’s and Fred’s panicked voices and running foot steps on the stairs filled the house.

“RON!”

“MUM!”

A moment later George came running into the kitchen and skirted to a halt staring at Hermione for a moment longer be for he too pulled her in to a hug. The fear she had begun to feel grew. Never had either of the twins shown this type of affection towards her.

“SHE’S HERE!” George called behind him.

“SHE’S IN THE KITCHEN!” Fred related as he too ran in to the kitchen with the sound of Ginny’s footsteps thundering back down the stairs before she entered and flung herself at Hermione.

“What’s going on?”

Fred flung an arm around his twin and wagged a finger at her with a relived smile.

“Rumors of your death have been greatly exaggerated.”

“Rumors of my what?” she asked confused.

“I could kill Lee for scaring us like that.”

“Hush George, Hermione might start to think we care about her.”

“Boys,” Mr. Weasley said in a solemn voice.

“What’s going on dad?” Ginny asked and Hermione hoped someone would answer that question. She herself wanted to know why every on thought she was dead. “Lee came in to the shop talking about how you showed up at Hogwarts and something about Hermione being killed by Death Eaters.”

“She looks alive and well to me,” George said.

“Slow day at work? Thought you could use a bit of excitement?” The smiles on the twins faces faded when their father ignored them and turned to Hermione.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ginny walk over to Harry and whisper something to which Harry said nothing but just shook his head. The confusion on Ginny face matched her own.

“Ginny, why don’t you and Harry go over to Andromeda’s.”

“Is something wrong with Teddy?” Hermione asked.

Mr. Weasley didn’t answer. Ginny grabbed Harry’s hand and tried to pull him along but Harry didn’t budge. “I need to be with Hermione.” he whispered. Ginny tightened her grip on Harry’s hand.

“I’m fine Harry. See” She said holding out her arms. “Perfectly healthy. Honestly.” She said looking everyone firmly one in the eye. “I don’t know how these rumors started, but I’m not dead.”

“I’ll get Molly, Arthur,” McGonagall said quickly departing.

Mr. Weasley sighed resigned.

“They’re not rumors. Or at least the ones about you are but…”

“Your parents were attacked, Hermione.”

Every one turned to see Bill and a man Hermione only knew by face standing in the door way of the kitchen.

“It’s all over Diagon Ally- that you were dead. I left work and ran into Scott.” Bill explained gesturing to the man next to him.

Hermione reeled “I need to get to St Mungo’s.” she said turning this way and that looking for something she couldn’t remember. “My wand. My bag. I need my bag. My beaded bag. I need to get to-“

“Hermione, sit down,” Bill said trying to lead her to a seat but she pulled out of his grasp.

“No! I need to get to St Mungo’s; I need to make sure they’re OK.”

“Hermione…”

“Don’t look at me like that!” she practically yelled at Kingsley. He was looking at her with such pity in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Hermione.”

“No.”

“When the dark mark came through…”

“No!” she sobbed collapsing in to a chair. It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be true. It was a mistake; a prank. She had just seen them this morning at breakfast laughing and smiling and – they can’t be dead they just can’t she had just gotten them back! They had only been back two months, a hand full of weeks. They had just gotten their practice back up and running. This can’t be happening the war was over.

Hermione jumped out of the seat running up the stairs she didn’t know where she was going but she couldn’t stand still. She made it to Ron’s room only to find it empty. The shower he said he was going to take a shower.

“Ron.” She knocked but got no answer.

“Ron, can you hear me?” no answer.

“Open the door.” Nothing

“Ron please open the door.” Still nothing.

“I need you Ron… please!” She sobbed sliding down the door falling to her knees unable to do a simple thing such as stand. All her energy had been drain from her as it all began to sink in. Her parents were dead. Her family was gone, just like that, she was alone.

She needed Ron to come out. It would all be OK if Ron would just come out, He would hold her and it would be OK. She would feel warm and safe and protected and…

 “RON, OPEN THE DOOR!” she yelled pounding on it. She thought she could hear anguished sobs coming from the other side, but then they could just be her own.

 

~~**~~

 

If you asked her how she got here she couldn’t tell you. It seemed like one minute she was pounding on the door of the loo and now she was with Bill and Mr. Weasley walking down the corridor to the morgue. The morgue. To identify her parent’s bodies. The only feeling she could register was that her legs felt like lead and that every now and again Bill would rub her back to try and comfort her. He had become so paternal since his daughter was born not two weeks ago. He was going to be a good father-Her dad was a good father- A sob escaped her and immediately both Bill and Mr. Weasley wrapped and arm around her. She was surrounded by fathers, but not her own.

“I can’t do this!” Hermione stopped and buried her head in her hands.

“It’s best to get it over with quickly,” Bill told her moving her along.

“I don’t want to do this!” Hermione said shaking her head.

“Dad are we sure it’s them?”

“Quite sure son.”

“Cant we just… confound them? Make them think she identified them?”

“Using magic on muggle is illegal.”

“But dad --” He gestured to Hermione. “Hasn’t she seen enough death? Haven’t we all? We’re not hurting them.”

Hermione looked pleadingly at Mr. Weasley with watery eyes. He didn’t want to see her parent’s lying on a cold slab.

“OK… OK.” Mr. Weasley nodded slowly to himself. “Take her home, I’ll… handle this.”

Hermione let out a sob. “I don’t want to go home! Can’t I stay at The Burrow tonight?”

Mr. Weasley gave her a sad but firm look. “That’s what I meant. The Burrow is your home. For however long you need it to be.”

When they got back to The Burrow Mrs. Weasley true to form fussed over her. Tried feeding her hugging her doing every in her power to ease Hermione but nothing help. She graciously declined any offer of food comfort and offers to talk claiming she just wanted to go to bed.

“I fixed up Bill’s room for you. He won’t mind.”

“Not at all,” Bill agreed.

“And I set up a bed in Ginny’s room in case you would rather be in there.” After a long hesitation and an enormous inward battle she also said. “And Harry’s old camp bed is up in Ron’s room… if you prefer to sleep in there. The camp bed.” She stressed.

Hermione simply nodded and began to make her way to Ron’s room. This wasn’t supposed to happen, she thought. Every thing was going so well now. They were going to fix Hogwarts; they would attend their last year; she would be Head Girl and when they graduated her parents were going to take her and Ron to Rome. Her parents had just started to love Ron. Really, truly, love him. Her mother had already begun to plan their wedding, jokingly at first but she had really begun to plan it. Her Father had promised Ron his chair. This wasn’t part of the plan. The war was over they were all supposed to live happily ever after.

“He’s still in the loo.” Harry said descending the stairs in front of Ginny. “I think he put up a silencing charm.”

A distant memory floated to her mind. “He fell down the hill earlier. He’s probably relaxing.”

“That’s no excuse.”

“There no way he could have known this would-” Hermione dissolved in to tears and Ginny hugged her just as they heard the distant sound of the loo door open. They all looked towards the sound and Hermione stomach sank. He didn’t know. She would have to tell him. He loved her parents.

“Do you want me to go with you?” Ginny asked her.

She shook her head and started up the stairs. Stopping a his open door as he pulled a shirt over his head.

“Ron?”

He turned to face her and Hermione could feel the break down coming.

“My p-p-parents…they’re…g-gone… d-dead.” She crumpled to the floor and Ron quickly sat beside her, pulling her in to his arms as she sobbed. She heard a sniff and felt, more then heard, Ron’s own sob as he cried with her. They stayed like that, sitting on the floor of his room grieving together.

 


	9. 16-Augest-1998

_16-Augest-1998_

_“You are lying, filthy Mudblood, and I know it! You have been inside my vault at Gringotts! Tell the truth, tell the truth!”_

_“It’s a fake! I’ve never been-“_

_The blow Bellatrix dealt Hermione cause her to fly off her feet and fall to the floor._

_“Perhaps a little incentive?” Bellatrix clicked her fingers and a moment later Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy dragged her parents in to the Room._

_“MUM! DAD! LEAVE THEM ALONE! THEY DIDN’T DO-“_

_“Crucio!”_

_“NO!” Hermione watched in horror as her parents writhed on the ground in sheer agony. Before Bellatrix lifted the spell and asked her again._

_“What else did you take!”_

_“N-nothing!”_

_“Crucio!”_

_“STOP PLEASE STOP! IT’S A FAKE! A FAKE!”_

_“LIES!”_

_An ominous smile crept up Bellatrix’s face. “You have two chances to get it right. What else did you take?”_

_“Nothi-“_

_“Avada Kedavra!”_

_The spell hit her father straight in the chest and her mother fell out of Lucius grasp to shake her husband in a fruitless attempt to wake him._

_“One more. Where did you get the sword?”_

_Hermione couldn’t answer, shocked silent at seeing her father murdered right beforher and her mother cry over hiss lifeless body._

_“No?”_

_“Avada Kedavra!”_

_“MUM!” Hermione scremed, being jolted back to reality. She tried to run to her parents but Bellatrix grabbed her by her hair and pulled her back._

_“Get him.” Bellatrix said with all too much glee in her voice._

_“If you will not talk to save the life of your filthy parents perhaps the life of your blood-trator boyfriend?”_

_Hermione febbly shook her head, this wasn’t happining._

_“Get off me!”_

_“RON!”_

_“HERMIONE!”_

_Bellatrix sauntered over to where Ron and just been thrown on to the ground pulling him to his feet by his hair._

_“He is a very handsome boy; maybe I will keep him as a pet.” Bellatrix said running a finger down his cheek._

_“LEAVE HIM ALONE!”_

_“Is he a good lover?” She crooned her nose grazing his jaw as her hand caressed his chest then his abdomen before it stopped to play with his belt buckle. “He looks as if he would be.”_

_“GET OFF ME YOU BITCH!”_

_Bellatrix flicked her wand and Ron went rigid._

_“Tell me what you took from my Vault!”_

_Hermione looked horrified between Ron and her dead parents. She would kill him with out a second thought._

_“This is a waste of time Bella, she won’t talk.” Narsissa stated in an almost board tone._

_“What else did you take!” She yelled._

_Bellatrix withdrew a knife and with a quick flick of her wrist slashed the front of Ron jumper open running the knife down his chest. “What else did you take?” She said in an eerily calm voice._

_Hermione shook her head from her spot in the floor not knowing what to say or do. Her cleverness had failed her, had failed her parents, and was now going to fail Ron._

_“DON’T TELL HER ANYTHING!”_

_Ron screamed as Bellatrix slashed  a deep cut across Ron the chest._

_“WE WERE NEVER IN YOUR VAULT! I SWEAR! LEAVE HIM ALONE!”_

_“LIES!” Another slash and Ron had a bloody X mark on his torso. “YOU HAVE THE SWORD!”_

_“IT”S A FAKE! LET HIE GO, PLEASE! LET HIM GO!” she sobbed uncontrollably into her hands._

_“This is getting us no where, Bella,” came Lucius’ drawling voice._

_“Pick her up. I want the mudblood to see.”_

_Two sets of arms dragged her to her feet while a pair of hands kept her head facing Ron. Bella walked around Ron examining him tracing the slashed she made on his torso with her fingers. Smearing the blood between her fingers as if testing the consistency. “Pity. Such a waste of a pure blood line.” And with those words Bellatrix Lestrange ran her knife along Ron throat, releasing the spell allowing Ron to fall to his knees, hand srabling at the wound in his neck._

_“RON!” Hermione began to run to Ron but stop as she felt her will leave her._

_“He was a blood traitor anyway.” Blatrix said befor jaming the knife straight in to Ron’s heart._

_“Take them in to the hall.” Hermione tried to fight it. “Take them now!” She jolted as then commanding voice of Bellatrix resounded in her skull. One by one she dragged the bodies of her parents and Ron in to the hall._

_“In here.”_

_Hermione’s nearly vomited at the sight behind the door Bellatrix just opened. In the center of very small room was a pile of bodies. She recognized them all. Lupin, Tonks, Mad-eye, Sirius, Colin Creevy, Snape even Dumbledore. Dobby’s body hanging by the neck from a chandelier above._

_“On the top.”_

_With bile rising Hermione added three more bodies. The spell broke with the slamming of the door and Hermione turned her back on the pile and began to pound on the door pleading in vain to be let out._

_A loud crack drew her attention upward and she saw the chandelier fall and crash over the pile. Blood immediately began pouring out of every orifice of the dead in torrents, filling the room. There was too much blood, no human body contained this much blood not even seven. It pooled around her ankles then her knees and all to quickly it flooded the room. The floating body of her friends; parents; and lover bumping in her as she kicked her legs trying to keep her head above the blood. It wouldn’t stop the blood kept on rising and Hermione let out one last terrible drawn out scream before she was completely engulfed and drowning  in magical blood._

Before she even she knew what she was doing Hermione had thrown the cover off of her and ran to the loo making it just in time to vomit in the toilet..

As a child Hermione didn’t have many nightmares. The first truly disturbing dream she could remember having was in third year when, she believed Sirius was a crazed lunatic. It happened the night Ron awoke to find Sirius above him holding a knife. With the stress she was under with all her lesions and her best friend being hunted by a man and her other best friend seemingly attacked by him, Buckbeak, it was logical it would take its toll at some point. Eventually they stopped and Hermione’s sleeping habits went back to normal. Then fourth year happened. The dreams became even darker, consisting of Cedric returning with Harry’s dead body. Fifth year brought the first dreams of her own demise at the hands of Dolohov. After sixth year was when the nightmares truly began, trouble had found them in the place they thought of as safe and their great protector was killed. And this past year… This past year had been a nightmare made reality culminating in her parents’ death.

Hermione wiped her mouth then lay to rest her cheek on the cool tile of the bathroom floor curling in to her self like a sleeping cat. Reality was no longer refuge from the horrors of her dreams. Both awake and asleep she was now tormented. Death would be better. Shakily she stood to wash out her mouth. She closed her eyes tight. None of this was real, she would open here eyes and she would be ling in her bed at home.

But she wasn’t, she was still in the bathroom at the burrow. A sob ripped through her chest. She shouldn’t have told them to stay. They would be alive right now if she would have just let them move to Australia. Seeing them once a month was better then never seeing them again.

Hermione let out one last sob before making her way back to Ron’s room. Crawling back in to bed she wrapped her arms around him. He was ice cold. “Ron?” She pulled the quilt lower to see his throat had been slit while he slept.

 

She sat bolt upright in bed dripping in cold sweat.

“Ron?” But he wasn’t there.

“RON!” she yelled running out of the room.

“RON!” where was he?

“RON!”

“Hermione! What’s Wong?” Mr. Weasley met her on the stairs tying his bath robe.

“Ron’s gone! I can’t find him!”

“Hermione?” Harry, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley had joined them on the steps.

“Harry, Ron’s gone!” She said hysterically.

“Maybe he’s in the loo?”

Ginny set off down to check but Hermione knew it was no good. “I just came from there.”

“You came from Ron’s room dear.” Mrs. Weasley said takeing her in to her arms to try and comfort her.

“No, before. I was in the..” That was a dream.

“What’s going on?”

Ron had finally appeared on the stairs drenched to the bone and Hermione flung herself at him crying in to his chest.

“Where _have_ you been!” His mother yelled. “And why are dripping wet?”

“It’s raining.”

“What were you doing outside in the middle of the night! If I would have known you would leave Hermione alone I would have insisted she stay with Ginny. You were supposed to take care of her!”

“I couldn’t sleep.” Ron whispered hanging his head.

Molly Weasley frowned at her son, he had been become very close to the Grangers these past two months and their deaths had to have hit him hard as well. “I’m sorry dear.”She said walking over and hugging him. Why don’t you change in to something dry and I’ll make you some of my special tea to help you sleep. Ginny take Hermione to wash her face will you.”

“But..” Hermione said holding tighter to Ron.

“I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

But he didn’t after the tea was made, served, then went cold Hermione found she was exhausted and made her way backup to bed expecting to find Ron asleep. But when she entered he was sitting on his bed staring at the wall.

“Your tea’s got cold.”

Ron glanced at her then went back to staring at the wall. “I didn’t want any. It’s not special; she just put some sleep drought in it.”

“Would that help you sleep?”

“I don’t want to sleep.”

Hermione stood there looking at him. Ron loved her parents almost as much as she did. It was amazing how far they came in such a short period of time. And now it was all over. It was the only good thing she could see. She didn’t have to go through it a lone. They could grieve and heel together.

“I know how much you loved my-“

“I’m tired.” He said cutting her off climbing into the middle of his bed “I just want to go to sleep.”

“But..” Hermione shook her head. This was without a doubt the worst day of her life, as much as she wanted to she just didn’t have it in her to try and figure Ron out.


	10. 18-August-1998

18-August-1998

Diagon ally was full of life and laughter. People going about their business; just another day. Hermione Granger, however, was in the middle of her first week as an orphan. She wanted to scream and yell at every smiling face she saw. It just didn’t seem right for there to be joy in the world.

“I know this is probably the last thing you wanted to do today, but you know how the goblins are, you needed to be here.” Bill said leading her through Diagon ally. Hermione had no idea how much paper work came with death. There were muggle titles, deeds and bank accounts that needed to be transferred to her name. Plans and arrangements that needed to be made. Wills that had to be read. She thought, when she learned of all this that it would take weeks, but Bill had taken time off work and managed to get it all done in a few days. She was sure a Confundus charm was used more then once but she honesty didn’t care.

“Thank you for… everything.” She whispered. She had been meaning to say it since he came through the fire placed dress and ready to take Hermione to see the lawyers. It was unexpected to say the least, she and Mr. Weasley had made plans, but in the end Bill was right. He was smart and knew the most about the muggle world and how it worked.

“It’s no problem.”

“You have a wife and a new born. You should be with them instead of escorting me around London.”

“Fleur doesn’t mind, in fact it was her idea.”

“But you didn’t have to.”

“Yes, I did. Could you imagine dad handling all that Muggle paper work? He would have spent an hour clicking the pen alone.”

“I appreciate it, I know it’s an inconvenience.”

Bill put an arm around her shoulder as they walked down the while marble stairs of the bank. It was the last thing that had to be done. Exchange a bulk of her parent’s money in to wizard gold and deposit in to her Gringotts account. It was a bit surreal; just a month ago she was fretting about her parents freezing her account and now it was all in her name. It didn’t seem right.

“It’s not an inconvenience, Hermione. I’m the oldest; taking care of you lot comes with the job description.”

“I appreciate that too,” she always knew the Weasley’s saw Harry as another sibling, but it never dawned on her that, besides Ginny, the others saw her in the same way too.

“Do you mind if we stop at the twins’ shop for a minute? We can floo home from there.”

“That’s fine.” She said feeling a bit awkward about running in to Ron. She hadn’t seen him since yesterday morning. She had been out all day and he had run into Seamus and had made plans to got out that night. There had been a bit of an augment between him and his mother about it.

_“Your girlfriend’s parents were just murdered and you want to go and have a drink with your mates? That’s unacceptable.”_

_“Being cooped up in this house is going to drive me mad.”_

_“Take her with you.”_

_“I don’t want to.”_

Hermione didn’t know how the rest of it went. She slowly backed away from the kitchen door and went straight up to Ginny’s room to sleep.

“Hey,” Fred and George greeted them as they entered the busy shop. “How’s it going?”

Hermione just shrugged one shoulder.

“About the same then huh?”

“Listen Hermione,” George came from around the counter and took her aside, “My girlfriend lost her brother at Hogwarts. She and her mother are a mess but they started seeing someone and it seems to be helping. Her mother started leaving the house again. I could get the floo address for you if you want.”

“That’s OK, George.”

“Well, if you think you might someday want...”

“Thanks.”

“Ron’ll be in the back if he didn’t cut out early.” Fred said then turned to Bill nodding towards the door that lead to their flat. “The soother blanket’s upstairs.”

Hermione slowly walked to the back. ‘This was stupid.’ Her parent’s death reminded everyone that while the war was over there were dangerous people still lurking about. They were thrust back into high alert mode and she couldn’t fault Ron for wanting to get away from that for one night. She didn’t know why he didn’t want to take her, but she guessed, with the state she was in, she wouldn’t have been much fun and that would defeat the whole purpose of the night.

She pulled back the curtains to the stock room but the Weasley there wasn’t the one she was looking for.

“Hey, Hermione.” Ginny said. Immediately putting down her clip board “How’d everything go?”

“As well as can be expected I guess. The goblins gave us a hard time because it was me,but Bill was a real help with that.”

“He can come in handy; it’s why I keep him around.”

“Yeah, is Ron here, or did I miss him?”

“No, He’s –RON! HERMIONE’S HERE-  somewhere back there.” She said nodding down the aisles of shelves stocked with Weasley products.

“So… Harry was going to take me to one of those Muggle films tonight. Do you think you and Ron would like to come?”

“I... no.” she said. “I just don’t want to be around people right now.”

“It’s understandable-RON! HERMIONE!”

“What movie are you two going to see?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I’ve never been to one so I don’t really know what type I like-RON!”

“I heard you the first time.” Ron said irritably emerging from one of the stacks.

“Then what took you so long?”

“I was in the middle of something.”

Ginny rolled her eyes. “Yes, because you take this job seriously.”

“Shut up. Hi Hermione. I just got to get the front.” Ron said pointing to his clip board then walked passed to the front of the store.

Hermione stood there stunned. That was the welcome she gets? A generic hi?

“I’ll be right back.” She told Ginny and followed Ron out to the front of the store.

“Did I do something?”

“Of course not.” He said never taking his eyes away on the daydream potions he was counting. He made a note of the number then walked to the next aisle without saying another word.

“Then is something wrong?” she asked trailing him.

“No.”

She tilted her head to try and catch his eye but he walked away from her.

“Are you sure?” She was starting to feel like a puppy following around their master.

“Mmmhmm.” Ron made another mark on his clipboard as he walked away again.

“RON!” She yelled stomping her foot not caring that she was making a scene.

“What do you want!?”

“I want you to look at me when I’m talking to you!”

“I’m working!”

Her eyes began to rapidly fill with tears and her bottom lip began to quiver. She didn’t want to fight with him. She just wanted him to hold her and tell her everything was going to be OK; to keep telling her until she believed it. He didn’t have to say anything really she just wanted him to be present , her rock. And he was barely acknowledging her presence.

“Don’t do that.” He said in a soft voice finally putting down the clip board; pulling her in to his arms and she held on as if her life depended on it.

“When I get home we can talk, not talk, listen to the wireless. I’ll even read to you if you want. I just need to get this done first. The sooner I do the sooner I can go home.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.

 

  ~~**~~

 

It was half eight and Ron still wasn’t home. Ginny had said he had left the shop at five saying he had a few things to pick up, then he had sent an owl saying he might be late for dinner but that was over an hours ago.

_“They have funny ones, and scary ones, romantic ones. Really horrible ones that people end up snogging in the back rather than watch.”_

_“Can we see one of each?”_

_“We can… but each one is a few hours long and I don’t think you want to be sitting in one spot for that long.”_

_“I say we go to one of those horrible ones”_

_“I like the way you think.”_

Hermione’s hand hovered over the door knob. Ginny was really excited about going to a Muggle cinema for the first time and the last thing she wanted to do was to continue bothering them about Ron’s whereabouts. They had already offered to stay in with her, or take her with them, but in either one she was the third wheel. If anyone deserved the normalcy of picking a film to watch it was Harry and she didn’t want to take that away from him.

She went back up to Ron’s room and stared out the window hoping to see him making his was home. He had promised.

“Not here yet, huh?” Ginny’s voice came from right besides her and she jumped.

“Sorry, Sorry.”

“It’s OK, I just didn’t hear you.”

“I’m sure he’ll be here any moment.”

“He said he was going to read to me,  he’s probably out trying to find a book we both find interesting.”

“That would explain the delay.” Ginny chuckled and she tried for force a smile.

“Do… um.. do you want us to stay until Mum or dad get home?”

Hermione shook her head, “Knowing your mum  won’t leave her granddaughter’s side even if it is just a cold and your dad won’t leave Bill and Fleur to handle her by themselves. I doubt they’ll be home until much later.”

“I don’t like leaving you alone.”

“Ron’ll be home any minute. I sent him a _Patronus_ not too long ago.”

“If you’re sure.”

“I’m fine.”

“We’re going to be in Muggle London so if you need anything…” Ginny pulled out an old DA coin from her pocket and handed it to her. “Use that. Harry has his too just in case.”

Hermione nodded looking at he coin, “Have fun.”

Hermione was snugly tucked into his bed when Ron finally came in a quarter past midnight.


	11. 19-August-1998

19-August-1998

 

“I’m sorry.”

Hermione sat across from Ron at the kitchen table pushing her breakfast around her plate. He had been apologizing to her since he woke up but Hermione didn’t want to hear any of it. He had promised to come home and spend the evening with her but, yet again, he claimed that he had run into Seamus and Dean and they wanted him to see the flat they had gotten over one of the shops in Diagon Alley. He claimed to have fallen asleep on the couch. Baring the fact that he had promised they would spend the evening together, it could be seen as a semi-acceptable excuse. Only it was a lie.

“I’m sorry Hermione. I only planned on taking a look; then Dean wanted to toast their new place with fire whisky, that coupled with how tired I was I just fell asleep. I know I should have never gone but I didn’t want to be rude.”

“I’m sorr-“

Hermione had about enough and pulled out from under her Ron’s jumper she had been sitting on and threw it in his face.

“Lavender dropped that off while you were in the shower. Seems you forgot it at  _her_ house.”

Hermione pushed off of the table and left the room. She didn’t want to fight with Ron, especially over Lavender and why he was with her last night, or why he had lied to her about it. Not today, she had too much on her mind already. She had to have her parents bodies moved from the morgue to the funeral home then she had to finalize the plans for the wake and pay off the their plots. She didn’t have the time or energy to wonder what had gotten in to Ron and why he was pulling away from her.

“It’s not want you think.”

She heard Ron following her up the stairs to Ginny’s room.

“I doesn’t matter what I think.”

“Of course it matter!”

“Oh! Now I matter!” Hermione rounded on him as he walked in o Ginny’s room throwing her hands in the air. “I didn’t seem to matter yesterday.”

“You mattered!”

“Not enough for you to come home. I don’t matter enough to be told the truth!”

“I didn’t lie! I did fall a sleep on a couch. I just never said whose.”

“And you think that’s OK!”

“No?”

“The last thing I need right now was that cow…”

“Don’t call Lavender a cow.”

“You’re defending her!”

“She’s dealing with a lot right now.”

“ ** _She’s_**  dealing with a lot right now?”

“Yeah, she’s very selfconscious about her scars and her back is still hurting her from her fall. I don’t think it’s very kind of you to call her a cow.”

“Not…kind… of me? But it’s perfectly OK for her coming here dangling your jumper around like some kind of trophy and having the audacity to ask me if we broke up!”

“You must have taken it the wrong way.”

“ _I_  took it the wrong way?  _I’m_ being unkind?” Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose trying to ease the headache that had begun to build even since Lavender had walked into the burrow. “I have to go.” She said grabbing her bag off the dresser and walking past him.

“Come on, Hermione.”

“No!”

“Don’t be like this, please.”

Hermione turned to stare at him incredulously.

“Like what Ron?” She couldn’t believe he had the bollocks to imply there was something wrong with  _her_  behavior. “Upset that my boyfriend lied to me? Upset that for some reason my boyfriend has decided he can’t stand being around me?”

“That’s not true!”

“Then why have you been sleeping in Bill’s old room? Did you think I haven’t noticed! You wait till you think I’m asleep and sneak out!” Hermione said crossing her arms across her chest waiting for his ridiculous reply.

“My bed’s small I thought you would be more comfortable with it all to yourself.” Well, atleast he didn’t dissapont her in that respect.

“Why not sleep in Harry’s camp bed?”

“I don’t know Hermione! I thought you would want time to yourself! It’s not like you’ve  been around much these days yourself!”

“MY PARENTS ARE DEAD! I HAVE TO PLAN THEIR FUNERAL!”

Ron went pale and clenched his fist slightly shaking. “I know they’re dead.” He said threw his teeth.

“Really? Because you’ve seemed to have forgotten.”

“I CAN’T FUCKING FORGET IT! THAT’S THE PROBLEM!”

“Then talk to me about it rather then inoring me!”

“I don’t want to talk about it with  _you._ ”


	12. 23-August-1998

23-August-1998

One of the strangest things you can do is stare at your reflection for a prolonged period of time, Hermione found. You know what you look like but after a while your mind stops recognizing its face and starts thinking ‘this is what you look like’ then ‘this is what people see when they look at you.’ If you continue to stare, your face starts to become meaningless features, just a nose, a mouth, eyes and a brow.

 Hermione kept staring until she didn’t know who she was looking at. It had become a habit of hers. It was fitting since she didn’t quite know who she was anymore. Her life had always been planed since she realized one can’t just go aimlessly through life. They were never detailed plans as people would think; she guessed they could be considered golas really. Do well on her OWL’s; do well on her NEWT’s. Find and destroy the horcruxes; Survive the war. Bring her parents back; finish Hogwarts; get a good job. Those kind of things. For the first time in her life she had no goals, nothing to strive towards. Her life had been throws upside down and she couldn’t find her footing. Her parents were dead and tomorrow she would be burring them. She and Ron were in this strange place. They held hands and talked, but not about anything that mattered. Sometimes their distance would be so unbearable that Hermione would ask him why he was pulling away from her but he insisted he wasn’t. Harry suggested that perhaps the loss of her parents was making her paranoia and she was just imagining that she was losing Ron.

That infuriated her; she wanted to yell at him for suggesting such a thing. To tell him how would he know anything about her or what was going on between she and Ron, since he had forgotten them. He and Ginny were always in their own little world. He was always taking her out or they were locked inside Ginny’s room doing things Hermione had once told Ron, Harry would never do under Mr. and Mrs. Weasley’s roof. If your names wasn’t Ginny Weasley, you no longer existed to Harry Potter. She wasn’t the only one who had noticed. He and Ron had a row over it and Mr Weasley and Bill began keeping a loser eye on the couple. But in the end Hermione had no energy to argue, yell, or trust people at their promises.

The night she and Ron had rowed over Lavender Ron didn’t come home. Harry had promised if Ron wasn’t home for dinner they would go looking for him. But like Ron, Harry had broken his promise to her. She was all ready to search for Ron when she overheard Harry and Ginny’s plans to go Muggle bowling. It seemed like everyone was living a life and she was being left behind. The worst thing about it was it wasn’t her fault. She would like nothing more than to go out and forget the world but each day brought a reminder of her loss. She wasn’t just talking about the pain of it all. There was just too much to do. Flower arrangements, caskets, phone calls to her parents colleagues and friends. There were obituaries and eulogies to write. Picking pole bearers. Offers on the house, the cars, and her parents practice.

Hermione was drowning and there was no one there to save her. The Weasleys tried as much as they could but they all had their own lives, they couldn’t put everything on hold for her.

‘ _Ron could,’_  a voice in her head said.  _‘He doesn’t_ **need** _to work at the twins shop. He has money, and it’s just temporary. Besides that Fred and George wouldn’t hold it against him if he decided to take time off. They would understand. Hadn’t they taken time off to help you acquire the best flowers money could buy and offer to pay for it them selves?’_

It was the thought that kept her up at night. Ron was letting her go through this alone. The night after their fight when she went to look for Ron without Harry she had found him in a corner of the Hogs Head with Seamus, Dean and Lavender Brown. It was Ron laughing that caused her to snap. Without a word she stormed over to them and ripped Lavender out of the booth by her hair before turning on Ron. Seven years of friendship with Ron and the Weasleys’ had taught her every swear word in the book and she had thrown them all at him, at the both of them.

She knew Ron wasn’t cheating, but Ron’s fidelity wasn’t the problem. She was living in a nightmare and Ron just didn’t seem to care. Lavender at least had the decency to apologize for  monopolizing Ron’s time, but then gave excuses that the dim blond thought was acceptablel. ‘ _The full moon was approaching and she still wasn’t accustomed to the effects it had on her. That because of Bill, Ron knew some tips on how to handle it._ But the fact of the matter was,rather than holding her hand and offering support in her time of need, he was giving it to Lavender. When she brought this point up he said, “You had everything under control.” It was at that point Hermione slapped him. She didn’t want or need his help. She was strong and she could get through this but she needed him to be her strength when she felt weak. To help her up when the weight of her grief caused her to fall to her knees. She just wanted him by her, she need him to lean on. How could he not under stand that? He always did before.

The knock on the bathroom shook her out of her thoughts.

“Are you OK in there?” Harry’s voice came from the other side

“I’ll be out in a bit,” she called then turned back to her reflection and she was Hermione again. ‘Ron and I are going to be fine,’ she told herself. They had made some progress since that night at the Hogs Head. Ron stopped going out and they were spending time together now. Sure it was distant and she still slept in Ginny’s room. But they would get better; they just had to get through tomorrow.

Hermione opened the door and gave Harry a small smile. She expected him to move out of the door way or enter the loo but he just stood there.

“This was supposed to be over,” he finally said.

“I know.”

“If there’s anything you need…”

“I know where you live,” she said giving him a smile, then because she hadn’t done so in a while, she hugged him.

“I don’t know how I’m going to get through tomorrow,” she whispered in his ear.

“The same way we got through everything else. Together.”  Hermione hugged him tighter and thanked him before slowly making her way to Ron’s room.

When she reached his room she found him laying out his dress robes. They were freshly pressed and he was still smoothing out non-existing creases.

“You’re going to wrinkle them if you keep that up.”

“Yeah,” Ron said stopping what he was doing to look at her before carefully lifting them from the bed and hanging them in his closet.

“Are you ready for tomorrow?” he asked.

“Yes. I called the parlor from the village and… well they’re… The flowers have already arrived. The hearse will be waiting at the church, and the ministry cars will be here at 10.”

Ron frowned and looked at her in a way he hadn’t since this whole nightmare began. Like he actually cared.  “That’s not what I meant.”

“No,” she said closing her eyes tight overwhelmed by a mixture of grief and joy of seeing her Ron making an appearance. “I don’t want to say good bye.” It took every ounce of strength not to cry. She took a deep breath and continued.

“I know we’ve been… off lately. I don’t know why but we have.”

Ron took a deep breath of his own somehow expecting this and let it out when he sat on his bed.

“I know.”

“You’re my rock. I don’t care about our fights or Lavender or what’s happened. If you love me, if you truly love me, I need us to be us again. Can you do that for me? Please. Even if it’s just for tomorrow?”

“Of course.” He had reached out for her hand. “I promise, tomorrow we’ll be us.” He said it with such conviction that Hermione couldn’t help but start to cry. Her Ron was back and she knew whatever tomorrow brings she would be OK.

 


	13. 24 August 1998

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this REALLY crazy idea of how to maybe improve the reader/writer relationship and the way you comment on a story. For those not interested just skip this and continue on to the second to last chapter of Days.
> 
> For those of you who are a bit intrigued; have you ever been on/heard of googel docs? I love it. My favorite part is the ability to highlight a passage and comment on just that rather then the chapter as a whole. It also allows you to see what others are saying about what parts and you can comment on their comments. This prospect thrills me! As a Sagittarius, conversation and open discussion is my lie blood.
> 
> So, if you're interested in leaving comments/questions as you read as opposed to lumping all your thought at the very end head over to my profile where a link to this chapter on googel docs is posted.

24-August-1998

Hermione sat numbly as Ginny tied her hair back in to a simple bun; didn’t protested when Ginny suggested some makeup to hide the dark circles under her eyes. In fact she wouldn’t have cared if Ginny dressed her. She didn’t want to move. She didn’t want to leave this room. If she went down stairs it would mean she was ready to go. If she was ready to go, it meant she was ready to bury her parents. She wasn’t, she would never be ready; so she sat numbly wishing time would stop.

A commotion out side the door reminded her that time would stop for no one and she groaned. The ministry cars would be arriving soon and there seemed to be a problem.

“I’ll go see what it is,” Ginny said putting in the last pin.

Hermione began to stare at her reflection. It was no good. Her mother always loved her curls. She should wear it loose. Her mother would have preferred that.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.”

Hermione hand stopped just as she was going to undo all Ginny’s work, that was Ron’s voice and he didn’t sound fine at all. She poked her head out of the door to see Ginny Harry and Mrs. Weasley standing right outside the loo.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” But his declaration of well being was punctuated by reaching noise. Hermione hurried to the loo and saw him hunch over the toilet being violently ill in his dress robes.

“No, no no no no,” she muttered pushing past and knelt down beside Ron rubbing his back. He had just eaten too much breakfast. That was all. He was fine, he said so himself.

“Better?”

“Much,” he said giving her a small smile but it didn’t last very long, in the next instant he was back to being sick.

“I’ll go make some tea to settle his stomach.”

“Thanks, Mum.”

“You’re OK,” Hermione said pushing a lock of his hair off of his brow and immediately she knew this day was destined to be the worst of her life. Pressing the back of her hand to his forehead her bottom lip began to tremble.

“You’re burning up.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine, Ron.”

“I have to be,” he said taking her hand in to his.

Hermione took a beep breath not even trying to stop the tears from falling. “You can’t go like this.”

“I’m fine,” Ron said once again quickly getting to his feet, but the momentum coupled with his fever cause him to sway, If Harry hadn’t rushed over to steady him he would have surly fallen.

Hermione followed behind Harry and Ginny as they guided Ron back to his room and laid him on the bed.

“I’ll go see how mum’s coming with the tea,” Ginny said pulling Harry out of the room along with her.

“I’m sorry,” Ron said looking at her with tears of guilt in his eyes. They were tears of guilt, it seemed to radiate off of him.

“It was out of your control.”

“I’m so sorry,” he said one more time, surprising Hermione by breaking down; sobbing in a way Hermione had never seen him before, it broke her heart. “I’m so sorry, Hermione. I just can’t. I can’t do it.”

Hermione shushed him, disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to hold her hand as she said her final goodbyes to her parents, yet somehow comforted in the fact that Ron’s tears showed that he did care. That while he was obviously ill, his insistence that he was ‘fine’ told her that he _wanted_ to be there for her. “It’s fine Ron, really. I’m not upset. You didn’t ask to be sick today.”

 

* * *

 

It was the last time she would be in this house. It was the third time that thought had crossed her mind. The first was when she left to the Burrow right before the horcrux hunt. It was a madding moment where she though there was no way she would survive the war. The second was after the fight between Ron and her father. But this time, there was no fix to this. This truly was the last time she would be in this house.

“It was a beautiful service,” Harry said coming to sit by her on the front step. She could hear Mrs. Weasley inside the house barking orders for dishes to be washed and tables to be wiped down. It was odd hearing Mrs. Weasley voice taking charge in her house. Everything was odd; she kept expecting one of her parents to walk in to a room at any moment. She should have listened to Mr. Weasley when he suggested to rent a hall rather then have the after service gathering at the house.

“Ginny’s getting the last of your clothes. She figured you wouldn’t have thought of it.”

Hermione hadn’t, she hadn’t thought much on clearing out any of their things before the house was sold.

“What do you have there?” Harry asked once again trying to engage her in conversation.

“Post,” she said simply.

“Anything interesting?”

Hermione handed him the manila envelope containing a Muggle passport for Ron.

“How did you get this? Ron never told me…”

“McGonagall and Kingsley helped. They were going to take us to Rome, my parents, it was supposed to be a surprise for him.”

Harry pointed to the bridal magazine in her hand.

“Were they going to renew their vows on the trip?”

“No. My mum said she had already started planning my and Ron’s wedding. Said so by the time it happened most of what needed to be done would be out of the way. I thought she was joking.” Hermione confessed not caring to control the tremor in her voice.

“You- you don’t think that’s what the trip was about, do you? You know, Ron asking you…”

“No,” Hermione said knowing that much. “They planed the trip last summer; it’s my present for graduating Hogwarts, or was supposed to be. Dad said if we were still going he wanted Ron to come. Mum and I loved going to museums and Dad liked pubs. Ron was really my dad’s guest not mine,” she said with a laugh that turned into a sob. “We were supposed to leave in two weeks!”

 “It’s going to be alright.”

“How can you say that!”

“Because I’m Harry Potter. I’ve felt the way you’re feeling right now. It’ll get better, you just need to give it time.” Hermione cried into his shoulder as Harry awkwardly rubbed her back as much as she appreciated Harry in that moment she couldn’t help but wish he was Ron.

“I want to get back to the Burrow to check on Ron,” she said after she calmed a bit. “No one’s been there since we left and I’m sure Ron hasn’t eaten anything.”

“Alright, I’ll just say your goodbye for you and I’ll come with you.”

* * *

 

Hermione went straight up to Ron’s room when they arrived. She could hear the shower running from the stairs and opted to wait for him in his bedroom. Opening the door she found it a complete mess; Harry’s old camp bed and wondered what had Ron been up to the hours he had been alone.

Deciding to tidy up a bit Hermione grabbed the trousers of his dress robes from where he haphazardly threw them on his bed.  As she did so two wrappers fell from their pocket. She bent down, picking them up and for one madding moment wondered what Ron was doing with fever fudge and puking pastille wrappers..

Hermione froze staring at her hand  clutching the wrappers. No, Ron wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t fake being ill. He wouldn’t do that to her. He wouldn’t leave her to face her parents’ funeral alone. He knew how much she needed him today. He promised he would, he promised.

Hermione didn’t know how long she stood deathly still in the middle of Ron’s bed room. But it was long enough for him to finish his shower and go down to the kitchen, because when he walked in he was stuffing one of the sandwiches they had brought in to his mouth.

“Hey.” He smiled at her. “Harry said the service was nice.”

Hermione stared at him. He was the picture of health smiling at her. He had broken another promise. He had lied and said he would be there then used his brothers’ inventions to fake being ill to get out of it. And she had fallen for it. Ron had played her like a chess match and won. He had insisted he was fine but it was she, she who told him to stay. He knew she would never demand he go to the funeral if he was so ill. He used her kindness against her. Hermione couldn’t recognize the man standing in front of her.

The room began to spin and she fell to her knees unable to breath. She told him that if he loved her he would be there for her, and he wasn’t. He lied. He lied and faked being ill. They weren’t having problems, Ron had fallen out of love with her.

 


	14. 30- August-1998

 

Hermione’s slowly opened her eyes. She was lying in Ron’s arms in his bedroom at the Burrow; finding it hard to be away from him now.

She wanted to scream and yell at him for lying to her; to throw those wrappers in his face and watch him squirm as he tried to defend himself and his action, but all she could do was cry. When Ron found her on the floor sobbing her heart out, she couldn’t breath let alone yell.  He picked her up, tucked her in to his bed and he rubbed her back trying to calm her. She couldn’t remember at what point she stopped crying or even falling asleep. What Hermione Granger did remember though, was waking up in the early hours of the morning to find Ron asleep on the couch - not with her- again.

As  the sun rose that day so did Hermione’s anxiety. What would the day have in store for her? Another death of a loved one? A death eater attack? Now with the stress of having to plan the funeral and burying her parents finished, would Ron finally decide it was time to stop acting  as if he wanted to continue their relationship. Would he end it? What would she do if he did? One thing she was certain of was that, if- when-he ended it, she wouldn’t be able to continue living at the Burrow.  It wasn’t a question of would she be welcomed to stay when she became the ex-girlfriend; she knew she would always be welcomed in his home. She just wouldn’t be able to handle the daily reminder of her failed relationship with the boy she chose over her parents. If she had known Ron would change his mind about her, she would have left to Australia. She wouldn’t have Ron, but her parents would help her get through the heartbreak. Four months ago she would have counted on Harry to help her through it, not now, Harry was so wrapped up in his relationship with Ginny that she wasn’t even sure she could count on him to be there when she needed him. Sure, he had been more supportive than Ron, but barely, and it was only after Ginny insisting she needed him. She had no one left.

 

Where would she go? This thought had caused panic. She was homeless; she had money and could afford to get her own flat, but she would be living along with death eaters still at large. The ones who killed her parents; what if they came after her? Her house was supposed to be protected and they sill got in. Hogwarts was supposed to be the safest and they got in. They always get in. It seemed her parents were right after all, the Muggle world was the safest place to be. 

It was that thought which pushed Hermione to get dress and make her way to Hogwarts. After everything she’d been through, all the death she’d seen, the Wizarding world no longer held the wonder it once did; and now, without Ron or Harry there was nothing left for her.

When she told her intentions to leave the Wizarding world to McGonagall, her favorite professor tried to convince her to stay but Hermione’s mind  was set. She wanted out of the world that took her parents and her childhood from her; out of the world that made her a soldier at the ripe old age of twelve, the world that had shown her more death than an eighteen year old should see. Out of the world that had nearly killed her countless times.

And now here she was, lying in Ron’s arms hours before she was set to leave. He hadn’t ended it, but he was rubbish at ending relationships. A part of Hermione knew she should have done it before now, but when she came back and saw him… He may not love her but she still loved him with; with every beat of her heart. She couldn’t bare anymore tension now that she knew their hours were numbered. She didn’t want to spend anymore of them fighting or being awkward. She just wanted her last days with Ron to be something good she could remember.

So she never told him she wasn’t coming back, any of them, just going away for a little while to clear her mind. This way, there wouldn’t have to be a hard break up, just a parting of ways. Clean breaks are easier to heal.

 

_But they still hurt_ , she thought as she took in his sleeping form and suddenly sleeping in his arms wasn’t enough for their last hours together.

“Ron,” she whispered against his lips. He stirred but didn’t wake. “Ron.”

“Hmmm? What time is it?”

“Early. Come watch the sunrise with me.”

He opened his eyes and looked at her. Hermione could tell that he was struggling with a decision, stay in his nice warm bed or get up at what he would consider an ungodly hour.

“Please,” she practically begged.

He smiled then, sighed deeply and looked at the clock on his bedside table.

“The sun won’t be up for another two hours.”

“I know,” she said biting her lip.

He gave her a small kiss on the lips. “You’re lucky I love you.” Those words almost broke her but she kept everything at bay. She would not allow herself to ruin their last morning together. They dressed, grabbed a few blankets and made their way to the yard.

“Should we go by the orchard?” he asked.

“I think we would get a better view from our spot...”

He held out his and Hermione grabbed it.

“Ready?”

She nodded, then Hermione felt the familiar suffocation of Apparition. They landed on a cliff of one of the mountains that over looked the Burrow. She could just make it out through the darkness of the early summer morning. Over their seven years of friendship she and Ron had spent a great deal of time on this cliff. The first time they came was the summer before their fourth year. She had needed a quiet place to read and Ron needed to get away from his brother’s relentless teasing over his “Girlfriend.” It slowly became their sanctuary from the madness of the Burrow, then a place where they could be “alone” together with out any fear of interruptions. It was the place they shared their second kiss, the place where they made love for the first time, and it would be the place they would make their last, happy, memory together. In eight short hours this would all be over, she would leave.

 

Hermione marveled at how poetic the decision to watch the sunrise truly was as she gazed up into the heavens. The moon brought light to the darkness of night, and as comforting as that light could be, the moon would need to fade into the background to allow what was needed. A new day; a new start.

“Come sit.”

Her eyes left the sky and met Ron’s. He was sitting on one of the blankets they had brought, with his hand out to her. She took and knelt in front of him, she was determined to memorize his eyes fully. You could see straight into Ron’s soul through his eyes. ‘We can’t be together in this lifetime, but in the next and I’ll find him through his eyes,’ she told herself.

She placed her hands on either side of his face and kissed him deeply. It was their first significant kiss since her parents were taken from her. For the first time in the past week and a half the world didn’t seem so cold.

Her hands ran down the sides of his face, then down his chest until it reach the edge of his shirt and pulled it up and over his head before removing her own shirt and bra. When their lips met again it was filled with longing, need and passion. Hermione didn’t know how she would be able to give this up.

Ron placed his hand on the back of her head and gently guided her down onto her back and trailed kisses along her jaw, down her neck and to her breasts, nipping and suckling, marking her as his. Hermione moaned as Ron worshiped her body with his teeth, tongue and lips, but it wasn’t enough. She entwined her fingers in his fiery locks and pushed him lower still. He chuckled at her impatience but obeyed, slowly sliding down her body, dipping his tongue into her navel causing her to shiver.

Slowly he reached the edge of her jeans and got to his knees, running his hands up her naked torso, gently squeezing her breasts and fanning his thumbs over her hard nipples before running them back down to undo the button and pull down her zipper. He removed her shoes and pulled off her jeans and knickers with practiced ease. He placed an open mouth kissed on her ankle, slid his tongue down her calf, kissed the back of her knee and finally , mercifully settled between her thighs.

Hermione lost herself in lust and in every ounce of grief, anxiety and sadness left her as Ron ran his tongue up her slit and settling on her bundle of nerves. Her grip on his hair grew tighter, and her hips ground against his face.. She needed this, she needed  **him**.

“Ron.” She moaned. “Oh god.”

He pushed a finger inside her and a new wave of pleasure washed over her. He added another finger into the mix and Hermione nearly came. She murmured words of encouragement, urging him on until it became almost too much to bear.

“In,” was all she needed to say. Ron stopped his ministrations and got to his knees again they both fumbled with his belt buckle and trousers. Ron fell back on his bum and quickly discarded the rest of his clothing and cast a contraception spell. They kissed hungrily and fell back to the ground, Ron snaked a hand between them positioning himself at her entrance. Hermione’s head fell in pleasure as he entered her. He was large and thick, stretching her walls to the point where pleasure and pain blurred in to pure ecstasy. Ron was ecstasy, there was no other way to describe him, and he was hers. For the moment he was all hers and she was his. This moment was all that mattered right now.

Ron pulled out then thrust back in, eliciting more gasped filled moans from Hermione and her mind was rendered useless as instinct took over. She wrapped her legs around his waist meeting him thrust for thrust, moan for moan. Ron sat up bringing Hermione to straddle his lap as he pushed up harder into her. The new angle caused her to scream his name making birds in a nearby tree fly into the early morning sky.

“Say it again.”

“Ron,” she moaned.

“Louder,” he demanded with harder thrusts.

“RON! Oh God RON!” She arched her back and he took one out her bouncing breasts in to his mouth sucking greedily. That did it and Hermione gripped Ron’s shoulders as an orgasm hit her with such force she collapsed backwards. But Ron would never let her fall, with his hands splayed against her back, he guided her down as he continued to pump in to her. Her walls clenched around him as his thrust became erratic and eventually followed her over the edge emptying him self inside her.

They were blissfully exhausted, as they watched the rays of sun make it’s way across the sky. Ron sitting against a large oak tree, arms around her waist keeping Hermione’s back pressed comfortably against his chest.

“You know,” she said breaking the silence. “This would be a perfect place to build a house.”

“It would be a rather small house.”

“Not if we got rid of a few trees. It’s a lovely view, and we could see the house you grew up in from here.”

“The kids would run right off the cliff.”

“Not if we put up barriers. They would bounce right back.”

Ron laughed and pulled her closer. “Is that what you want? A cottage on this cliff?”

She sighed and nodded, that was a lovely dream.

“Then it’s yours,” he promised.

Hermione turned her head and looked into his earnest eyes. “You would do that? Build me a house up here?”

“I’d do whatever made you happy.”

She looked deep in to his eyes. “I want you to remember this, this morning… and our cottage on the cliff… the kids running off the edge and bouncing back…” she said with a half laugh half sob. “Keep it in your heart always and don’t forget it… don’t forget me.”

“Hermione.”

“Promise me, Ron. Promise you won’t forget me.”

“I promise,” He said frightened at her urgency as she gave in to the sadness that had been threatening to over take her. She and Ron were a cruel joke the fates had played. To put these two people who were so opposite, yet a perfect balance, together; to dangle them in front of each other but never giving them an opportunity at happiness. For a long time she had thought that she and Ron were destined for each other, now she knew better. Timing was wrong, something always managed to prevent them; Viktor, Lavender, a war. Just when they had finally reached the beginning, fate stopped them in one of the worst imaginable ways. Maybe it was supposed to happen like this? Maybe they were to have these trials and tribulations, so when, in another life, they were to meet, they could fully appreciate the other.

“How could I forget you?” Ron said pulling her closer still. Hermione savored being in his arm, wondering if there was still hope for them after all. How could she have ever doubted him? It was so clear, sitting in his embrace, that he loved her.

* * *

 

Hermione was going insane. There was no other word for it. A few hours ago she was happily in the arms of the man she loved and whom, she was sure, loved her back. But now, as she sat staring at her half unpacked bags she wasn’t so sure any more.

When they had come back to the Burrow Hermione had decided that leaving the Wizarding world was a rash decision; one made while she was in a very emotional state. When she was with Ron she had no doubt about just how strong their love was. But Ron wasn’t with her now to distract her from the dark thoughts creeping in. Just like Ron hadn't been there to help her through this entire ordeal. He faked being ill so he wouldn’t have to deal with her at her parent’s funeral. Sure things had been great this morning, more then great. They were _them_ again. But things had been great before and then Ron decided he didn’t want to be around her anymore; avoiding her at all cost. They were fine now, but Ron could change his mind once again.

Then there was the magic factor. There was so much dark magic still in the Wizarding world that, if Hermione was being completely honest with herself, she would have to  admit she no longer felt comfortable living in it anymore. Ron would always ease that discomfort, but as the last few weeks showed her, there was no guarantee he would always be there to easy her troubled mind.  That terrified her. The thought that Ron would take always the calming ease he gave her. Her future here was uncertain. Her future in the Muggle world was just as uncertain-but there she had the reassurance that she didn’t have to look over her shoulder for Death Eaters where ever she went. 

 

Hermione let out a shaky breath and began to re-packed her bag. One morning of making love didn’t fix any of their problems. All it managed to do was send her spiraling in to confusion.

“So you _are_ going?”

She looked up at the sound of Ron’s voice and found him standing in he door way towel drying his hair.

“Yes, what made you think I wasn’t?”

He shrugged, “I don’t know, just got a feeling you were re-thinking it.”

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, but like it had been for weeks, the heaviness in her heart was too much that it didn’t allow her the strength to try and figure out his comment or how he knew she was having second thoughts about leaving.

She watched as he walked over and opened his sock draw, stare into or along for a moment, then close it again. He then walked to his closet, opened it and then closed it again. Hermione wondered if he was looking for something or just trying to distract himself from the “elephant” in the room.  In an hours time a ministry car would be arriving to take her to the airport.

“So... um... where are you going?” Ron finally stopped walking around his room aimlessly and asked.

She was leaving town, alone, and he, Ron Weasley, hadn’t cared before now to ask about where his girlfriend- whom he claimed to love -was going to be until an hour before she was set to go. She was an idiot for thinking she might still have a reason for staying.

“Rome,” she finally answered after taking a few deep breaths.

“Oh, that’s... nice.”

Nice? It was nice!? It would have been nice if her parents were still alive to go with her like they had planed. It would have been nice if he offered to go with her when she told him she needed to get away. Nice. It was real **_nice_** that he had no idea where she was going until now.

“Do... you... want me to go with you?”

Hermione was floored. “I’m leaving in an hour!”

“So?”

“So? _So_ , there isn’t enough time for you to pack!” Hermione bellowed hysterically, scaring her self with the sudden shifts her mood had taken. She went from confused as to what she was going to do, to sad at thinking just how _not_ nice everything was to annoyed at Ron, happy he had finally asked to go with her and now complete enraged.

 

Was this his grand plan? Wait until the last minute to ask if she wanted him to go with her knowing that there was no way it would be possible. That she would _have_ to say no? Just like she _had_ to tell him to stay home and miss her parent’s funeral? Make _her_ look like the bad guy so he could feel a little better when he finally got up the nerve to ditch her?

“No.”

“No?”

“No, there isn’t time.”

If there was a time for a grand gesture, this was it. She needed Ron to fight with her, to tell her that it was too bad, he was going with her anyway. That he was sorry for the way he was acting but from this moment on he was going to be by her side. That he would make the time. Say they could take a port key to Rome, apparate to the airport. Or even question her about leaving. To ask her to stay.

He had lied and broken so many promises as of late that she doubted his sincerity. It was so easy that morning. He loved her, she was sure of it. But now, now she found herself desperate for that clarity she found sitting in Ron’s arms on the cliff. Desperate to believe their love making meant more than just good bye. It felt like more at the time but standing in front of him, searching his eyes, his face, his soul, she couldn’t feel it. She wasn’t quite sure what _“it”_ was but something was missing, something she needed like air. Something only Ron could give her. Love? Security? Ease from all her pain? A promise of tomorrow? A real promise. Like the ones he used to make. One she knew he would keep this time.

Certainty. She risked her relationship with her parents for an unknown future with Ron, she wasn’t going to risk anymore. She had lost too much to gamble with her happiness, her sanity, or what was left of it. If she was going to come back, if she was going to stay in a world full of darkness and evil she want to make sure he would never leave her drowning and gasping for air, like he had been, again. She needed him. All of him, with out question.

“Are you sure?” Ron asked.

He shouldn’t have to ask, he should know. Of curse she would want him with her. Hadn't she told him the night before her parent’s funeral that she needed him? That she needed them to be them again? Hadn’t she showed him this morning? Why was he questioning her? Why couldn’t he just love her like he used to; take care of her like he told her father he would...

Hermione’s eyes dropped to the floor and she gave him a small nod knowing her voice would betray her. She turned picking up the jumper Mrs. Weasley had made her for Christmas, not sure if she would ever get a chance to give it to her. It was the last thing left to pack. She wasn’t sure if she even wanted to take it. It would only serve as a reminder of the family she would never be apart of; of the family she had spent so much time with while neglecting her own. 

She decided not to, gently placing it back on the bed and smoothing it out, felling the rough wool for the last time.

 Willing her self not to get emotional she zipped her suitcase closed, turning to find herself alone in the room. Ron had taken her other luggage down. He was letting her walk out of his life with out a fight.

Hermione could hear her mother voice in her head, _‘You may think Ron’s the one now, but in a few years you might find he’s not. People change, they grow apart, fall out of love.’_ It didn’t takes years, just their deaths, and it was Ron who had decided _she_ wasn’t the _one_.

 

* * *

 

 

The day was a warm and sunny one; the air was full with laughter and splashing. Cheers and jeers from the sky. The Twins and Bill had coaxed Percy in to a game of two aside Quidditch, while Harry and Ginny opted to spend the afternoon in the Pond. Mr. Weasley was hold up in his shed and Mrs. Weasley was doting over her new Granddaughter while Fleur laid out in the sun. The only sign that it wasn't an ordinary day at the Burrow was a young couple sitting quietly on the porch steps staring out in to the distance; a bag and a cat carrying case a their feet.

She could see it; the ministry car in the distance. It’s shiny black coat of paint gleaming in the sun light. It’s arrival would be the begging of the end. The end of living in _constant vigilance_. The end of wondering when the next attack would take place. The end of living in fear. Funny, Hermione thought, Harry’s victory was what was supposed to end all that, but if she had learned anything these past few days, it was that the war would never end, not really. There were still scours of Death Eaters out and about, people who shared his beliefs.  It was inevitable, they would once again rally around one, the next “Dark Lord.” If it happened in her life time she wanted to be as far away from it as she could.

Out of the corner of her eye she glanced to her right at Ron, it wasn't as if she had anything tying her to the Wizarding world anymore.  The absence of Harry at her left just further proved this point. She had helped him win; she was leaving and Harry was off in the pond with Ginny, not caring that this was going to be the last time he saw her.

Granted she didn’t have the heart to tell them she wasn’t coming back. Not even Ron.

She knew Ron cared for her- there are some things you can’t do with out deeply caring for someone, fighting a war was one of them- but he wasn’t in love with her. How do you tell someone who _does_ care, that you’re walking out of their life because they didn’t care  enough; because they didn’t love you in the way you wanted them to?

It was easier to pretend. It was easier to go on acting in love than facing the truth, only Ron was acting and she was still in love. Still the charade was easier. There would be no need for a break up, he wouldn’t have to watch her heart break and she wouldn’t have to watch him hurt over hurting her- A courtesy Ron didn’t deserve, but she was willing to give it to him for both their sakes- there would just be understanding in her absence. They would go on; have happy memories untainted. This way their love story wouldn’t have a hard end, just fade; like a pleasant dream in the morning light.

 

As the car pulled in to the Burrow the sound of wheels on gravel seemed to awaken the occupants of the house. Realization of what was about to occur settled. Slowly, the ones in the air descended and the sounds of splashing stopped.

Three large men emerged from the car, the driver and two Aurors.  She didn’t move as they approached, the only movement made was Ron taking her hand. His touch seemed to calm her; calmer than she thought she would be; should be. Her heart on the verge of breaking but not quite there yet. Vaguely she wondered if I was even possible, it had been broken over and over in the past few weeks that, perhaps, there was nothing left to break.

She watched in a daze as her bags were put in to the boot of the car. Only now was it dawning on her what little she actually had; Clothes mostly, and a photo album. She wasn’t sure how her old family photo album ended up in the Burrow, but truth be told she honestly didn’t care. She was just glad she still had something other than clothes she could call her own. Not only had the death eaters killed her parents, but destroyed the belongings she had in her room. Her old room, in her old house that now had a white sign on the neat lawn with big red letters that read ‘For Sale’. They really had taken everything.

There was really nothing left but to say good bye. She stood and Ron stood with her, their hands never breaking apart, she approached the group slowly assembling on the lawn. Mrs. Weasley was the first to hug her, asking if she was sure she wanted to go alone. What would happen if she said no? What good would it do? The cars were all ready here. Why was everyone asking this question so late?

The twins and Percy gave her a quick hug and offered her a good bye before they were back in the air. It seemed such a small goodbye, but then they didn’t know it was really _goodbye_.

Bill’s hug was tighter, longer. He of all the Weasleys had helped her he most, she would be forever grateful to him.  Fleur she had been so wrong about her. Her beauty was in her grace, her fierceness, in the way she loved. Never caring if she made a spectacle of herself in openly loving Bill. Hermione hugged Fleur tight, remembering all she did for her at Shell Cottage; remembering how she fought the final battle pregnant beside her family. A Weasley.

Hermione eyes then wandered down to the baby girl in Fleur’s arms. Angelic with her blue eyes and silvery blond hair. There was a brief moment, an infinitesimal space of time where Hermione feared for the Child. She had no idea of the world she had been born in. That while it was better then it had been a few months ago, the magical world was still, very much, a dangerous place to live. They hadn't eradicated the bigotry that stared the war yes, but there would always be a Voldemort looming on the horizon. There would always be casualties left in their wake.  If Hermione was being completely honest with her self she would say she was glad to be leaving the thing that killed her parents behind, magic.

Hermione reached out and took the baby in her arm like she had done many times before. “Goodbye, Vicky.”

“Tori,” Ron said with a roll of his eyes causing Harry to laugh.

”You’re the only one who call her that, mate.”

“Yeah, well it’s right better then _Vicky_.”

“What’s wrong with Vicky?” Bill asked, never understanding why Ron refused to call her by the name everyone else did.

“Makes me think of Krum.” From behind her Ron wrapped a passive arm around her waist, reaching around with the other to tickle the baby still in Hermione’s arms.  Hermione savored this last bit of affection, leaning back into him and rested her head on Ron’s chest.

There was a flash and they all turned to see Mr. Weasley smiling behind his new camera.

“Do you ever put that thing down, Arthur?” Molly asked him exasperated.

“Not while my granddaughter’s here.”

Hermione turned around, holding out Victoire for Ron to hold. He never did. He played with her sure, but Ron never held her for more then a few seconds.

“I don’t do babies.”

“You’re not going to break her, honestly!”

“She doesn’t like me.”

“You just hold her wrong.”

“ _I_ don’t like _her_.”

Bill was quick to slap his brother upside the head. “That’s my daughter you’re talking about; and your niece!”

“She’s part Veela,” Ron said trying not to look at Fleur, “they make my head go fuzzy, I don’t like it.”

“No, they don’t.” Hermione rolled her eyes and tried handing the baby to Ron again.

“I’m telling you she doesn’t like me.” True enough, the moment the baby was in Ron’s arm she started to wail.

“She doesn’t like you because she can sense your dislike of her,” Ginny said from what seemed like her permanent spot at Harry’s side. Bill snored as he retrieved his daughter from Ron. Ginny wasn't too fond of her niece either. It was a running joke in the Weasley house that Ginny hardly held Vicky because she was jealous that she was no longer the only girl.

“It’s going to be great isn’t it?” Ginny said,, “All of us in the same year.” Ginny gave her a hug before pulling back quickly. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, nothing. It’s just- nothing.”

Harry was next. When he wrapped his arms around her Hermione could barely hold in her tears. They had been through so much together. He had showed her what true bravery looked like. Showed her loyalty and friendship; even thought it had faded since the war she would always be grateful to him for it. 

“Take care of yourself, Harry,” she said pulling away and straightening his glasses. “Don’t go getting yourself in to trouble.”

“Me? I live a low key type of life. You know that.” She let out a small laugh then pulled him in to another hug. “I mean it.”

Harry hug tightened a bit before he said “Ginny’ll keep me in line.”

“Sure will,” Ginny said replacing Hermione in Harry’s arm when she released him.

“We have to be going Miss Granger.”

Hermione gave the driver a stiff nod, taking one last look at the ensembles crowed, a family. It made her feel so alone, orphaned.

“Miss Granger.” 

Ron slipped his hand in to hers, and together they walked to the boundary of the wards where the cars waited on the other side.

“I could go with you to the airport,” Ron said opening her door.

“No,” she said shaking her head, unable to look at him.

“I-um-.” He gave a small laugh. “It feels like I’m never going to see you again.”

“Don’t say that,” she said letting out the sob that had been threatening to escape since she had said goodbye to Harry. She hated hearing the truth on his lips.

“I didn’t mean it was,” he said hurriedly, “it just feels like that.”

When Hermione sobbed harder he took her in his arm holding her tighter then he ever had. “I’m sorry. I’m rubbish at this kind of thing- I never know what to say.”

“Just tell me you’ll miss me and say good bye,” she whispered.

He pulled back and rested his for head on hers, taking both her hands and resting them on his chest. “I’m going to miss you.”

“Not as much as I’m going to miss you.”

He smiled then, the most heartbreaking lovely smile, then kissed her tenderly.

“We really go have to go Miss Granger.”

They broke apart and Hermione had a strong desire to hit the Auror that interrupted them. Did he not understand that was their last kiss? Not knowing what else to say or do she entered the car and allowed Ron to shut the door.

“I’m sorry,” Ron said leaning down to look through the window and Hermione could see tears brimming in his eyes... “I’m sorry I couldn't- I’m so sorry.”

The charade had broken. Ron was no longer playing the part of a boy in love and was now apologizing for being a boy who wasn’t.”

“It’s OK,” she lied.

“You don’t understand-”

“I don’t have to. It’s fine.”

The driver revved the car signaling them to wrap it up. Ron gave him a murderous look.

“I have to go.”

“We’ll talk when you get back.”

She leaned up and gave Ron a had kiss on the lips. “I love you, remember that.”

“Watch your feet,  Mr. Weasley.”

Ron stood, took a step back, a moment later the car began to drive, taking her away from everyone she loved and everything she hated. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so concludes the first installment of the three part Home Again series.  
> Next up: Home Again.  
> Five years ago Hermione Granger left the Wizarding world. When circumstances bring her back, Hermione must now atone for her actions agents the boy she could never stop loving. But some things are unforgivable.


End file.
